Healing Wounds
by loulou26
Summary: When a new crime wave hits Metropolis, Lois Lane decides to investigate. But she soon lands herself in serious trouble. When Clark Kent learns of this, he returns to protect her, but at what cost? And can he forgive her for the past?
1. Prologue

_**Prologue**_

"This is her." He slid the photograph across the desk, waiting for the older man to look at it.

Tiredly, his boss sighed and studied it for a second. "And who exactly is this?"

The subject smiled, her pretty face beaming in conversation with the dark haired man standing next to her. She was brushing her long, wavy, brown hair out of the way. But even though she was smiling, he could see a shadow in her eyes, something that lurked deep under the surface. Attractive, he thought to himself, placing the photograph back down.

"She's a reporter for the Daily Planet." The younger man said, taking a seat in front of the desk just as his words caused the other man's eyes to sharpen then narrow.

"I see. And how close is she?"

He raked a hand through his short, black hair. "Close enough. We gotta take care of this boss. We can't risk anyone knowing about this. The police are already watching."

To that, the man neatly tucked a strand of silvery hair behind his ear and scoffed. "They've got nothing on us and they know it. Besides, I now have the Mayor's full support."

"Are you sure about that…?"

He jumped as his boss brought his fist down hard on the desk, a loud crack resonating through the spacious room that served as his office. "Do not question me Bruno!" he yelled.

"I'm sorry Morgan." Bruno Mannheim, Morgan's second in command, held his hands up. "I didn't mean to. But how are you going to deal with this?"

Morgan Edge sat back in his luxury leather chair, elbows resting on the arms and pressing his fingertips together. "I'm not."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"But…you can't just ignore it. She could blow everything we've been working for." Bruno said, aware that the conniving look Morgan's face had just taken on, was a very vast and almost scary difference from the angry look he'd had moments ago. This was one man you did not want on your enemy list.

"Who said anything about ignoring it?" he questioned, his patience seemingly under check now. "No, I simply said that _I_ will not be dealing with the situation that you seem to have found yourself in."

"Me? Hang on a second, I thought we were all in this…"

"Did you? Well in that case, I suggest that _you_ take care of…" He picked the photograph up and threw it back at Bruno, sending it spinning through the air, and hitting him on the forehead. "This."

"You want me to…?"

Morgan shook his head. "No, killing her is too dangerous for us right now. But I'm sure you can think of something."

Bruno looked at his boss, confused. If he didn't want the reporter dead, what was he suggesting?

"I think you and I both know you can be a little more creative than that. And I do love it when you plot someone's downfall."

"Okay, I'll think of something but…"

"But nothing. In the meantime we will go ahead as scheduled. Nothing needs to change, this woman isn't close enough to warrant drastic action. So take care of it. I'm trusting you with this Bruno."

Bruno stood as Morgan did, very well aware that his last sentence was more of a warning than a compliment.

"Yes sir."

After Bruno left, Morgan walked around his desk and picked up the discarded photo. Yes, she certainly was attractive, he thought again. But Lois Lane had gotten in way over her head.

And now, he thought with a grin, she would have to be silenced.

_**To Be Continued...**_


	2. Chapter 1

**_Chapter One_**

**_The Past_**

_She was his passion. The first time he laid eyes on her, he knew it. _

"Yo Kal!" Steve, the bartender slapped his hand down on the bar to get his attention. "You okay man?"

He nodded reluctantly, wrenching his eyes from the shapely figure standing on the edge of the dance floor. Hard to do. She was standing there, holding a drink in both hands while her lips curved around the straw, her eyes roaming the room as she swayed her hips to the beat of the music.

Steve followed his gaze and smiled. "You want a drink or are you just here to browse?"

Kal's gaze shot to his, and then he grinned. "Sure, give me the usual."

Then his eyes were immediately drawn back to the blonde on the dance floor. Her jeans clung to her, revealing her well-toned thighs and perfect hips, her vest top rode just above her jeans, allowing him a view every once in a while of creamy soft skin. But it was the way she moved that caught his eye the most. Confident, so sure. And having way too much fun to let anyone stop her. His kind of girl.

"What happened to Talia?" Steve asked even though he already knew.

"It didn't work out." Kal said absently, still watching. As he took a sip of his drink, he felt his mood shift when a man appeared, dancing up to her, luring her onto the dance floor with him. Whoever it was, he hated him already.

She smiled politely, but shook her head and Kal smiled. But the guy, it would seem, didn't want to take no for an answer. He started pulling on her hand, and Kal could hear his voice above the music.

"Come on sweetie, just one dance. Just one."

"I said no." her voice was strong, defiant.

"I saw the way you were looking at me, you can't tell me you don't want a piece of this." Then he leaned in close to her face. "If you play your cards right, I'll make you breakfast in the morning."

Kal was already on the move, before he even knew his feet were moving, and he saw her shove him away with a force that surprised him.

"The only thing you'll be making in the morning is soup to drink through your broken jaw if you don't get your hands off me!"

The guy laughed, until he saw Kal appear behind her, she wasn't even aware he was there but the guy stared at him, sized him up and then quickly retreated. She chuckled and turned around, her body slamming straight into his. His hands shot out to grab her shoulders to steady her as she toppled.

"Uh, thanks." She said. Her voice was soft, even though she'd shouted to be heard over the music, he'd never heard anything quite so…beautiful.

"You're welcome. Are you okay?"

Her eyes clashed with his and he felt something pass between them, like a current that was so strong it was almost visible. Surely she'd felt it too. But there was no sign of recognition in her features.

She stared at him for a second and then shook her head. "Oh that guy? Yeah he's a jerk, but I'm good."

He let her go and stood back a few inches. "Good." He glanced around. "Are you here with anyone?"

"Nope, I'm here by myself."

"On a Friday night?"

She rolled her eyes and even that was sexy as hell, he thought. "What, you were expecting an entourage or something? I can have fun by myself you know."

"Oh I can see that." He replied, appreciation in his tone. "Can I buy you a drink?"

She squinted at him. "That depends, do you have a name?"

"Do you?"

"I asked first."

He chuckled. "Yes but…ladies first."

Her eyes sparkled as she smiled. Then just as she was about to answer, the music changed and her face lit up. "Oh! I love this song!" She turned away and headed back out towards the throngs of dancing people, but half way there she looked back and tilted her head. "You coming sailor?"

Kal grinned and made his way over. He was not normally one for dancing, instead preferring to linger on the side-lines. But something about this woman was calling to him, making him want to do whatever she asked. It was a nice change considering how he'd been living his life for the past month.

There'd been too much darkness, too much self-loathing. Even though he'd tried hard to put it all behind him and escape it all, some of it was still there. He wasn't sure how, but in the space of ten minutes, she'd managed to make him forget most, if not all of that.

It wasn't long before she was in his arms, swaying her hips, her gorgeous blonde hair catching in the lights and shimmering. He wondered what it would be like to feel all that hair draped over him, to feel the silky strands slip through his fingers. He felt the beat of the music thrumming through his body, making him feel…alive and he found himself watching her more than concentrating on dancing. But all too soon it was ending and he didn't want it to.

"So…" she said, a little breathlessly as they walked off the dance floor. "Care to buy me that drink now?"

He kept an arm wrapped around her waist, something she didn't seem to object to. "Sure, care to tell me your name?"

She simply shrugged and grinned wickedly. "All in good time, come on, I'm parched."

Standing at the bar, Kal watched with amusement as the mysterious woman before him downed another shot.

"Woo!" she screamed as she slammed the glass down on the bar. "That hits the spot."

"Maybe you should take it easy," Steve said, slightly concerned.

She turned to him, and levelled him with a straight stare. "I am enjoying myself for the first time in two years; I've had enough of people trying to control me. This is my night and I am going to have fun." She said, grinning at Kal, but aiming her words at the bartender.

"Who could ever control you?" Kal asked, genuinely intrigued.

She shrugged, nonchalantly but he could see something lying just under the surface. Something he found himself wanting to know.

"It doesn't matter. So what's your story huh?"

"My story?"

"Yeah, come on…spill."

Kal frowned. "I don't have a story."

She narrowed her eyes at him for a second and then shrugged again. "Fair enough.

The evening passed by fairly quickly and Kal couldn't remember a time when he'd felt this…free. She had done most of the talking, since they'd found a quiet area of the club to sit down in and he'd been content to let her do so.

"So tell me, why is it that a guy like you is alone on a Friday night?" she asked, sipping through her straw, drawing his eyes to those lips, always back to those full lips that he just wanted to kiss.

"A guy like me? What's that supposed to mean?"

"I just mean that I would've thought you'd already have a girl on each arm or something."

"I don't need any company." He said truthfully.

"Yet you've spent most of the night with me. Interesting."

"Well how about this…" he said, an idea striking him. If he was going to learn anything about this intriguing woman, and he wanted to so badly, then he was going to have play dirty.

"I will tell you anything you want to know, but you have to do the same. Total honesty. Deal?"

She thought about that for a minute, and then grinned. "Deal." She leaned forward in her seat, putting her lips close to his ear. "Do you want to get out of here first though? It's a little…crowded."

Pulling back he stared into her eyes. They were hazel coloured and practically gleaming mischievously. "My place or yours?"

Her brows rose in surprise but her smile didn't falter. "Are you propositioning me?"

"Not at all, we're only going to talk." He reminded her.

"Okay then. Let's go."

"Wow. Nice place."

Kal watched her as she walked around his apartment, it was okay, but it wasn't…home. He shook his head, twisting the ring around on his finger. He wouldn't think of that. This was his new home now.

"You want something to drink?" he offered, shrugging out of his jacket as she took a seat next to the tall, floor to ceiling windows that gave an amazing view of the city.

"Sure, whatever you've got."

He took a couple of bottles of beer out of the fridge and handed one to her before sitting down on the chair next to her.

"So…" he started unsure of what exactly he wanted to know. He looked away, resisting the urge to just pull her onto his lap and kiss her. He'd never felt such a pull to anyone before. Why was he so attracted to her? "What did you mean earlier about being controlled?"

Her face fell but she didn't look away. "Oh nothing, I was just…"

"Come on, remember our deal?"

She sighed but smiled and placed her beer on the coffee table in front of her. "My father. He's a general in the military and he has decided that my career lies along the same path as his."

"I see." He knew all too well what pushy fathers could be like. It made him a little angry to think that she was being forced into a career she didn't want.

She scoffed. "Well I guess it's the price I pay for being born a girl. I know he loves me, I do, but I think he's always secretly regretted that he didn't have a son."

"What about your mom?"

"She uh…she died when I was six. My dad did the best he could but he had two small girls that he didn't know how to deal with. I guess it hardened him a little."

"Oh. Sorry."

She shrugged and smiled, but Kal knew it was fake. "Don't be, it was a long time ago. Anyway, tonight we had a huge argument, I told him that I didn't want to follow in his footsteps and that I wanted to…" she trailed off.

"Wanted to what?" he asked, wanting to know as much as he could about this woman. She fascinated him.

"I told him that I wanted to pursue a career in journalism, and uh…he laughed. Told me not to be stupid and that the army was a safer career choice. I'm not quite sure how it's safer but…well I ended up storming out and going to the club to blow off some steam. And you know the rest."

"Does he know where you are?"

"No, and I'd like to keep it that way."

"So where are you staying?"

She glanced at him and then sighed as if realising something. "Crap. Well I guess I can sleep in my car…"

He shook his head, no way was she doing that. The city wasn't safe enough. "No, you can stay here, with me."

"Really? But I…don't really know you."

Kal reached out and placed his hand over hers. "Maybe, but that doesn't change the fact that something is clearly going on here."

"What do you mean?"

"You don't feel it? It's like…I'm drawn to you, I want to know everything about you and yet I still don't even know your name."

She chuckled. "It's Lois. Lois Lane."

"I'm Cla…Kal."

"Are you sure it's okay that I stay here? Do you live alone?"

Kal glanced around the apartment, bought and paid for in full by money that he'd stolen from some ATMs. "It's my place, so yes I'm sure it's okay."

He turned back to see her watching him curiously. He wondered what it was that she was seeing. Her eyes were sharp, focused, yet underneath it all, he could see an underlying vulnerability that made him want to protect her from anything that might harm her. Which was crazy, he'd only just met her. And from the time he'd spent with her tonight, he knew that she could take care of herself. Though hearing how she'd been raised explained a lot of that.

"So what's the real deal here Kal?" she asked after a few moments, breaking into his thoughts.

"Real deal?"

"Yeah, there's something different about you and I can't quite put my finger on what it is. And a deal is a deal remember? I don't tell just anyone the details of my family life, so come on…spill it."

"Well, what would you like to know?"

"For starters, how come an eighteen year old guy has an amazing apartment like this? Parents rich or something?"

"No. It's complicated."

She gasped, mockingly. "Have you run away from home?" When he didn't respond, or even smile, she knew she'd hit a nerve. "Oh, that's it isn't it? Well I can't really blame you, I seem to have done the same thing."

"Like I said, it's complicated." He picked his beer up and took a massive swallow.

"Well try me, I'm not as dumb as I may look."

His eyes caught hers, and again he felt that sizzle, that electricity passing between them. "You look amazing." He whispered and had the satisfaction of seeing her cheeks flush a little. Something that, he thought, didn't happen very often. Before he knew what he was even doing, or could stop himself, he'd leaned forward and captured those lips that had been teasing him all evening.

Lois didn't pull away as he'd expected her to. In fact, she deepened the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. He felt her heart beating wildly as she pressed her chest against his, or was it his own heart that was racing?

Slowly she pulled back, biting her bottom lip as she opened her eyes and looked at him. "Sorry, I don't normally…do that."

"Me neither. But I liked it."

She smiled. "I did too. But you were about to tell me something and you can't very well do that with your lips attached to mine, now can you?"

Damn, he'd forgotten about that deal. But it didn't matter, as he looked into her eyes, something told him that she would understand. She wouldn't judge. He didn't know how he knew this of course, he just knew.

And strangely, he found himself wanting to tell her, wanting her to know him as much as he wanted to know her. For the first time in his life, he wasn't afraid to reveal himself to someone, scared that they would reject him. That was his old life. This one was his to live the way he saw fit and right now, he wanted her.

"Okay well…I don't quite know where to start."

"How about at the beginning, I've heard that's a good place." She teased.

He rolled his eyes and smiled. "Fine, but trust me Lois, you're not going to believe most of what I'm about to tell you."

"What could you possibly say that would…?"

"I'm not human." He blurted.

She threw her head back and laughed, but when she looked at the serious expression on his face, she knew he wasn't joking. "Oh. You're serious."

"Deadly." He replied flatly.

"Well uh…I guess…you might want to start again."

**_To Be Continued..._**


	3. Chapter 2

**_Chapter Two  
><em>**  
><strong><em><span>The Present<span>_**

The clacking of keys, the scent of fresh ink, these were the things that Lois Lane loved most as she walked into the Daily Planet. She loved everything about her job, not least of which was her shiny, new office. Located on the eighth floor, it was fairly large and the floor-to-ceiling windows gave a gorgeous view of the city.

She knew there was a lot of resentment coming her way from the basement bullpen, since she was the youngest reporter to get promoted to the eighth floor, but she didn't care. She'd worked hard to get here, sacrificed a lot, and she was going to enjoy it. But she still needed to prove herself, if only to keep her promotion or aim for a higher one in future. In her mind, she could picture herself on the same floor as the Editor-In-Chief one day.

After only having been in her own office a month, she was already feeling at home. In fact she spent more time there than she did at home. Flipping her long, brown hair behind her, she threw her bag down onto her desk and then made a beeline straight for the one thing she needed most, coffee.

"Morning Lois." Matthew Filcher, writer for the Sports Edition of the paper, smiled at her over the rim of his mug as she entered the kitchen.

"Matt, what are you doing here? It's not like you to visit the lower classes." She teased, knowing him to be a little bit of a snob. He seemed to think his job was more important but Lois failed to see how that could even be possible when she reported the news and he only reported on the lives and loves of various celebrity sports people. Oh and he occasionally threw the odd game review and scores in there too.

Matthew just grinned and raised a brow at her. "Actually I came to see you."

A frown appeared. "Me? Why?"

"I was wondering if you would like to go to dinner with me sometime."

She almost choked on her own saliva. "What? We've worked here for years and you've never asked me out, barely even spoken to me before. What gives?"

He shrugged, his expensive, charcoal-grey, suit jacket moving over all those muscles. For a sports writer he sure did look the part. The guy could be a line-backer, he was so big.

"Just because I've never really spoken to you doesn't mean I haven't noticed you. And isn't that what dates are for anyway? Getting to know someone?"

She had no idea where this was coming from, but she had to admit that he was kinda cute. With dark brown hair and standing at over six feet tall, he almost reminded her of…_no Lois, don't go there_. "Uh, I guess one date wouldn't kill me. But I get to pick where we eat."

He chuckled and stepped a little closer. "Naturally. I've heard good things about you Lois, I just hope they're all true."

"Such as?" she asked, swallowing as she caught a whiff of his expensive aftershave. Mentally she was kicking herself for reacting like this, but it had been a long time since any guy had shown her attention. Ever since…_no, _she shook her head away from those thoughts.

"Wouldn't want to spoil you too early now would I? But I'm guessing there's a reason they call you Mad Dog Lane."

"Oh, that." She felt her cheeks heat for a minute and looked away. _What are you doing?_ _Get a hold of yourself. _She squared her shoulders and stared back at him. "Well it's an earned reputation, I can tell you that."

Matthew chuckled again. "I'm sure it is," his eyes locked onto hers. "I'm looking forward to figuring out the rest. How does eight o'clock tonight sound?"

"Tonight? That's a little sudden isn't it?"

He shrugged. "Why wait? Come on Lois, don't think of it as a date, just think of it as two colleagues getting to know each other a little better."

She stayed silent while her mind tried to decide, but really what was she afraid of? Maybe it was time she put herself back out there. If she didn't like him at the end of the evening, she never had to go out with him again. "Fine but this isn't a date and we take separate cars, no drama."

"Well okay then, I'll see you later." He threw her a wink and walked out of the kitchen, and almost immediately, Colby appeared.

"Good morning Miss Lane."

"Oh hey Colby." She replied, her mind still stuck back on the impromptu dinner invitation. Where had it come from?

Colby Spears, her new assistant fresh out of Journalism College, stood smiling at her, waiting for her to give him something to do. When he'd started here a month ago and he'd been assigned to Lois, she couldn't think of anything worse. Of course it would happen to her wouldn't it?

However since then, her tune had changed because he was a very sweet young man, eager to learn and he'd barely made any mistakes. Well, that and the fact that he reminded her a lot of a farm boy that she used to know years ago. But she never allowed her thoughts to go there. It never did her any good to dwell and quite frankly, it still had the power to hurt.

"So did Perry holler for me yet?" she asked, picking up her coffee as she headed back to her office.

"Not yet, he's in a meeting I think. But I don't think he's in a good mood."

She chuckled, sitting down at her desk. "Is he ever? So how's that obit coming?"

Colby's smile faded, replaced quickly by a look of sadness. He ran a hand through his blonde, curly hair. "I don't know if I'm cut out to write those things Miss Lane. It's awfully morbid."

Lois tilted her head and smiled sympathetically. "Well don't think of it like that, think of it as reminding people how nice the person was, how they influenced the people around them, how they brought happiness to those that loved them."

"I'll try that, thank you."

"Why don't you go back to your desk and work on it. Your deadline is coming up today."

He quickly nodded and left, leaving Lois wondering if he had what it took to be a reporter. Sure the kid was nice, but he needed to have more of a backbone. Maybe that was why Perry had assigned him to her, like she was supposed to be a mentor of some kind.

The Daily Planet hired four new interns each year, and most of them were to shadow a reporter who could help them 'be all that they could be' in the words of Perry White. Though she had a sneaking suspicion he also did it to get a rise out of her. Wouldn't be the first time, she thought.

The phone on her desk rang and she snatched it up whilst turning her computer on. "Lane."

"Lane, get your butt in here, now." Then the line went dead before she could even blink, let alone speak. _Was the man psychic or something?_He always seemed to call at the moment she was talking about him. If she didn't know any better she'd think he'd had this office bugged or something.

Shaking her head and smiling, she put the phone back down and headed out to the elevator.

"So you're telling me that you have a source, but you won't tell me her name or where you're going to meet her?" Perry demanded, leaning back in his chair and staring at her from across his desk.

Lois crossed her legs and shook her head. "Well it's kinda hard to tell you where I'm going when I haven't actually spoken to her to arrange a meeting. And I'm not telling you her name, I have to protect my sources Perry, you know that. Heck you're the one who taught me that."

Perry sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration and Lois smiled. She knew that she riled him up, but honestly, Perry was an awesome boss. He used to be the best reporter the Daily Planet had ever seen and now he was the Editor-In-Chief. But above all that, and deep down under the snark and sarcasm, she knew he thought of her as more than just an employee. Over the past couple of years, he'd helped to shape her into the journalist she was today. She owed him a lot.

"Look Lane, there is no way I am sending you out there without at least knowing where you're going. So you better report back to me before you go anywhere, got it?"

"Fine, but I'm still not telling you her name. She needs to be protected and I can't do that if I don't write this story."

"Lois, how do you even know that they're up to anything? I mean I understand it, Intergang isn't exactly something you want to go up against, but lately they've cleaned up their act. They claim to be rejuvenating Suicide Slums, turning the burned out buildings into safe havens for the homeless and others. Hell they've even got the Mayor on their side."

"That's probably because the Mayor is in Morgan Edge's back pocket." She grumbled, wishing that she could find evidence to prove that. "Look, I have a source, a reliable one that could blow the lid off whatever it is that Morgan's got going on. I mean come on, do you honestly buy that one of Metropolis' biggest crime lords is cleaning up his act and now helping the homeless?"

Perry shook his head, having dealt with Morgan Edge in the past. "No I don't, but there's a funny little thing we need to have before we actually print anything. It's called proof."

"I promise I can get you your proof Perry, but please…don't kill this story, not yet. I have a feeling I haven't even scraped the bottom of the barrel yet, there's so much more we don't know."

"What do you think they're up to?"

"Well for one, I know that on the surface, while they appear to be buying up all the derelict buildings in Suicide Slums, cleaning them up and claiming to do it for the homeless or those with hardly enough income to afford a place to live, that isn't their goal. It's a front for what's really going on behind the scenes."

"Like what?" Perry asked, genuinely interested.

"Prostitution, for one. Who knows what else? But because he's helping to get people off the streets, people are suddenly thanking him instead of investigating him. And they must know about the prostitution at _least_."

Perry frowned, his pensive face appearing, which Lois knew meant he was deep in thought. "Okay fine, bring this story in, but Lois…please be careful. You have a knack for getting yourself into trouble and believe me, Morgan is _not_someone you wanna tangle with."

"I can handle it Chief don't worry."

Perry shot her a glare. "Lois…"

Ignoring the warning tone in his voice, Lois grinned, he really did hate being called that. "Besides, if they are truly on the up and up, they won't mind if I report their good deeds will they?"

"You really think that's gonna happen?"

"No but it's worth a shot right? I'm telling you Perry, something big is going on and I am going to find out what it is."

Grumpily, he snorted. "Okay but if you get yourself killed, don't come crying to me."

As soon as she was back in her office, Lois closed the door and grabbed her cellphone. Too risky to use the Planet's main line. Dialling the number she'd been given, she perched herself on the edge of her desk and waited.

"Lois? Is that you?" A panicky voice sounded on the other end.

"It's me. How are you doing?"

"Not so good. We need to talk. You have to help me."

"I will Melissa, I promise. Where should we meet?"

**_To Be Continued..._**


	4. Chapter 3

**_Chapter Three  
><em>**  
><strong><em><span>The Past<span>_**

Silence made the air thick in his apartment as Kal waited for Lois to respond. He had no idea why, but he'd told her everything. Who he was, where he was from, what he could do. Every part of him was now laid bare to a woman he'd met only hours ago, but a woman he'd felt such a strong connection to.

Her story about her father had struck something in him, making him want to return her honesty because it couldn't have been easy for her to admit. It seemed like her strength and pride were the only things she truly valued above all else.

And afterwards, it was strange but it felt kind of nice to get it all out in the open. Without having years of secrets and lies following it. He just wanted to start off with a clean slate with her, because something told him that tonight wasn't going to be a one-time thing.

His dad's voice echoed through his head, warning him of revealing himself to someone he didn't even know, and yet, he didn't care. It was his secret to tell, not his dads. His decision. She would either accept it or not.

There was only one thing he'd kept to himself, but he couldn't tell her that, she would hate him before she even got to know him. And he just couldn't stand the thought of that.

Eventually she blinked and shook her head, as if waking from a trance. Then she got up and walked over to the door without even looking at him.

"Hey, where are you going?" he asked, alarmed. This wasn't how he saw this going.

She turned to him then and he was a little shocked to see a hint of alarm in her eyes. Was she scared of him now? As he walked over to her, she edged back into the kitchen, keeping the centre island counter between them.

"Say something." He demanded, getting a little frustrated at her silence. He walked around the counter to get closer and the next thing he knew, her hand shot out and then something heavy and metallic clunked off his jaw. Stunned for a brief moment, he stood staring at her, her eyes wide.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry, I don't know why I did that." She said, dropping the frying pan on the floor. She reached out a hand to touch his cheek, right where she'd hit him. "I was just trying not to think of all the ways I might've just walked into a serial killer's home, willingly. And I guess I got kinda freaked for a second."

Gently, not wanting to spook her, he took the hand that was still touching his face in his and stared deep into her eyes. "Lois, I promise you I am not a serial killer."

Her burst of hysterical laughter almost had him smiling, wanting to kiss the panic away, wanting to feel nothing but her in his arms, but now wasn't the time.

"I know I shouldn't, but I believe you." Then she winced. "I'm sorry I hit you. Did it hurt? There's not a trace of a mark…" She went back to staring at where the pan had hit, astounded because she'd really laid one on him. For a moment, their eyes locked and Kal found himself unable to look away from the hazel depths. Every urge he had to take her right then and there, he had to fight.

This was not a woman he could spend just one night with and forget about the next day. Though he hadn't ever done that, but he'd thought about it a lot of times. It was hard not to with all the beautiful women practically throwing themselves at him at the club most nights. But this one…she was different. He wanted to take his time with her.

"No it didn't hurt Lois. Are you okay?"

"I uh…I have no idea. I mean, be honest with me Kal, did you escape from somewhere? Did you forget to take any meds?"

He chuckled lightly, still holding her hand but making no other movement in case she bolted again. "No, I swear everything I just told you is the truth. I'm an alien."

"From planet Krypton?" she replied, more to herself than him but he nodded anyway. Then she raised her head and her eyes met his. "Prove it."

He raised a brow. "Prove it?"

She nodded. "Prove it. Because you have to admit on the list of topics to come up between a man and a woman who've only just met, being an intergalactic traveller is…well it's not even anywhere close to being on there."

"I have an idea. But I need you to come with me."

He held his hand out to her, an invitation, and she stared at it, hesitating.

"Can you trust me Lois?"

She swallowed hard and eventually nodded. "I think so. Boy I really hope so."

"Uh Kal? What are we doing up here?" she asked nervously, as they stood perched on the edge of the Daily Planet's rooftop. He could feel her trembling as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

Unable to deny himself, he swooped his head down and caught her lips in a heated kiss, which, considering where they were right now was probably not such a good idea. But he wanted to ease some of her tension. "I want to show you something."

"Well that's great but couldn't you show me it a little closer to the ground? Apparently I'm the only one of the two of us that will get hurt if we fall." Which judging by the look on her face, she still didn't quite believe.

He grinned. "Just hold onto me."

She shrieked and wrapped her arms around his neck so tightly that he heard a bone click in her wrist as he bent at the knees and…jumped.

"Oh my God, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna…"

"Open your eyes." He said forcefully, and she obeyed. Her grasp on him tightened as she looked at the scene below, the city flying past as they soared through the night air. And then just as soon as it began, it was over. Clark landed on the balcony of a building she didn't even recognise and slowly put her down.

But her heart was racing so fast she couldn't even remove her hands from around his neck. Which was fine by him, he thought, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her close so that her body was flush up against his and he could feel her heart pounding in her chest. It pulsated through his body, stirring him to life.

"You can…" she swallowed. "You can…fly?"

He chuckled. "No, not fly. I can just jump really far."

"You really were telling the truth." She murmured, once again reaching up to touch his face. Her eyes focused on him, as if really seeing him now. "Wow."

"Wow? That's it? Because we don't have any frying pans around here so if you wanna freak out…"

She laughed and punched him in the shoulder, then sobered as she rubbed her knuckles. "Wow you really are hard aren't you?"

"In more ways than one." He replied, his voice dropping, and Lois' eyes widened. He could hear her heart start to speed up again.

"I have to say…this has been the weirdest night of my life."

"Bad weird?"

She shook her head, her fingers absently toying with the hair at the nape of his neck, making him shiver. "No, not bad…just weird. How much did I have to drink exactly?"

"I wish I could tell you this was all a by-product of alcohol Lois, but it's not. It's very real. The question is…can you handle it?"

He watched her chew on her bottom lip, thinking so hard he could practically hear the cogs turning in her head. After what seemed like an eternity, she looked up at him and smiled. "I think I can handle you…I mean _it_! I mean you! Oh God…" She buried her face in his chest, hiding the rosy tint her cheeks had taken on.

Kal grinned and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "You can handle me anytime Lois."

But as much as he wanted her right now, to the point of his body aching with need, he knew he wasn't going to push her. She had to come to him in her own time. She needed time to digest what he'd revealed tonight. "Do you still want to stay at my place tonight?"

She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes.

"It beats living out of your car."

Eventually she nodded. "Thanks, but you should know that I am a very light sleeper."

Chuckling at her warning that really sounded more like a challenge, Kal nodded. "You want to walk or do you want to take the express ride back?"

Wrapping her arms around him again, she grinned, her smile no longer so shaky. "How far exactly can you jump?"

"You want to find out?" he asked and she nodded. "Then let's find out."

_He'd been right;_ _she had been able to handle it._

Kal stood at the bar, waiting for Lois to return from the ladies' room. The music was pumping, the crowd bigger than he'd seen before. And he was…happy. For the first time in a couple of months, he was truly happy. There was still a little guilt that niggled away at him, and each time it hit, he found himself twisting the ring on his finger, as if that could chase it all away. And most of the time it did, but it was only when he was with Lois that it truly went away. His mind stopped thinking of past mistakes and concentrated on getting to know her.

For three weeks now Lois had been staying with him and each day their relationship took on a new level. They'd talked, a lot, shared everything except what was really bothering him. He knew she could sense something, but he never spoke about it and she never asked. Which he was grateful for.

There was however, a drawback to living with a gorgeous woman such as Lois Lane. His body was in a perpetual state of arousal and he couldn't do anything about it. Cold showers didn't help, and Lois was not the kind of girl he wanted to rush things with. Even though he clearly wanted to.

They'd kissed, a lot, well made out would probably be a better term since it involved a couple of items of clothing coming off. But she'd always stopped him, gently, politely and he respected her enough to know when to back off. Their time would come, he knew it. He just had to be patient. That didn't make the throbbing in his body any easier to live with though.

And even though it was crazy, since he'd only known her for three weeks, he'd never felt as close to anyone as he did to Lois right now. It was like…well, if he believed in all that destiny crap, it was like they were meant for each other.

He felt someone pinch his butt, breaking him out of his thoughts and he turned around smiling, expecting to see Lois, but instead found a pretty young brunette woman staring at him with what he knew now to be lust in her eyes. He got that reaction a lot in here.

"Hey there handsome." She purred, swaying from side to side.

Kal resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the clichéd line and smiled politely. "Not interested."

He turned back to the bar and saw Steve try to hide a smile as the woman pinched him again. Clearly unwilling to take no for an answer, he spun around to tell her to go away when she staggered a little, falling towards him and he had no choice but to catch her. She was obviously drunk, giggling as she trailed her hands all over his biceps.

"Wow. They make them _big _in…where did you say you were from honey?"

"I didn't." He straightened her up and pushed her back gently, creating a little space between them, which she soon closed again. The woman was relentless.

"Oh come on now, what say we have a little fun tonight sugar?"

Barely hanging onto his patience, Kal smiled icily. "Again, not interested."

This time her smile did falter, but not for long. "I'm Sandra, and you are…?"

"Not. At. All. Interested." He really couldn't say it any clearer than that. Where the heck was Lois anyway? All this would be solved if she'd come back, women tended to stay away when she was around him. She was like his own personal shield, which he liked. A lot.

"Fine, be that way, but you…" she poked his chest for emphasis. "Have no idea what you're missing out on."

"I think I'll be okay with that. Thanks."

She turned on her heel, with a dark look on her face, and staggered away, ready to find her next victim. Kal shook his head and turned back to the bar.

"Another one?" Steve asked, pouring the drink out before Kal could even nod. "Where's your lady friend?"

Kal frowned, scanning the dance floor and surrounding areas. "I have no idea. It shouldn't take this long to…"

It was then that he heard it, a scream. _Her_ scream. He raced out of the club and down the alley that ran alongside it and stopped dead in his tracks. Three men were holding her down, trying hard to avoid her kicking legs.

Fury bubbled inside him as he sped over to them, grabbed two of them and literally knocked them together before they even knew what was happening. The other one let go of Lois' legs and stood up, looking frantically at his unconscious cohorts.

"Listen dude, I don't…I didn't mean…We weren't going to actually do anything!" He backed away slowly, his hands raised.

Kal stalked him, walking towards him menacingly slowly and he couldn't control the anger he was feeling. They were trying to hurt her. His Lois. _Because she is mine_, he thought. And the revelation brought another surge of fury with it.

"Listen _dude_," he mocked. "You really picked the wrong girl to mess with."

"I'm sorry, please don't kill me." He started sobbing.

His fear was palpable, so real that Kal actually stopped and blinked. He thought he was really going to kill him? He may feel like doing just that, but he wouldn't actually do it. "Oh I'm not going to kill you, but you aren't getting away with this. I'm going to make sure you never hurt another woman again."

Lois was still sitting in the alley when Kal returned two minutes later and with a lot less baggage. He raced to her side, crouching down next to her. "What did you do with them?" she asked, cursing the slight wobble in her voice.

"Police station." He replied tautly, and without another word he hauled her into his arms and sped them back to his apartment.

"I'm okay Kal." Lois insisted for the umpteenth time that evening. Sitting in his bed, Kal held her close to him, one arm around her waist, the other stroking her hair. He gently touched the bruise that was starting to appear on her cheek.

"They hurt you Lois. I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" she asked, sensing something more going on here.

"Because no matter what I do, each time I let someone in, they get hurt. Every damn time." He said bitterly.

She twisted so that she was facing him. Cupping his cheeks, she forced him to look at her. "This wasn't your fault. It was mine if anyone's."

He frowned. "What are you talking about? How could this be your fault?"

"When I came out of the bathroom at the club, I saw you and…that woman. She was all over you. And it's so stupid I know, but I felt so…angry at you."

"You were jealous?" he asked, surprised.

"Yes, and I don't know why because I knew nothing was really going on. But I couldn't handle it and I left the club. Those guys were leaving a bar from across the street, they were drunk, I was alone and walking down a dark alley. They saw their chance and took it."

Kal tightened his hold on her, rage again filling him at what could've happened to her had he not come along. Because as strong as Lois Lane was, even she couldn't fight off three big guys like that. "Lois, there's no way I would've ever gone with that woman, you know that right?"

She nodded. "I do and I'm sorry I over reacted."

Tilting his head, Kal frowned. "There's something I want to tell you Lois. I want you to know me completely with no secrets."

"I thought I already did."

"There's something else that I haven't told you." He swallowed. Closing his eyes, he knew it was time. He slid the ring off his finger, feeling the fog lift as soon as it was placed on the night stand next to him. He prepared himself for the crushing feeling that all the memories brought, and then it hit. It was like being hit by a moving train. He could barely breathe under the weight of his own guilt. But as he held her, he felt his heart start to calm, his breathing return to normal.

Lois watched him closely, seeing a change in him, something shifted in his eyes and he became...vulnerable.

He felt her wrap her arm around his waist and looked down to see her watching him with curious but soft eyes. "Then tell me."

"My name isn't really Kal. Well it is, but it's not the name I go by." He felt her stiffen in his arms, and hoped that when he was done, she would still understand. She'd been so supportive of his secret over the past few weeks, getting him to open up more and more about what he could do and who he was. And he honestly felt that she knew him, completely. But that had been a lie. She only knew what he'd wanted her to know.

"After seeing you getting attacked it occurred to me that I can't lose you Lois. I don't want to be without you. And I made a decision to tell you what I should've told you from the beginning."

"So what's your name?" she asked and he could hear something strange in her voice. Was she starting to doubt that she knew the real him?

"It's Clark. Clark Kent. And I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner but…I've been kind of avoiding that name for a while now."

"Clark…" she said quietly, testing the name out. "I like it. It suits you."

Spurred on by the fact that she hadn't leapt out of his arms, Clark continued. He told her of the reason he'd run away, that his real father wanted to take him away for training, that he'd destroyed his parents' lives. All of it. And she sat there and just listened. Her face soft and kind and with each passing moment that she didn't pull away, he began to hope that this could actually work out.

When he was finished, she stared at him for a long time, without saying anything, making him feel antsy. "Please say something." He whispered.

"Clark…I can't imagine what it must've been like but you don't really think that your parents blame you, do you?"

"How could they not? I was responsible for my mom's miscarriage." He said, his tone so defeated.

Lois almost cried at the lost look in his eyes when she tilted his face up to look at her. "Have you talked to your parents…since you left?"

He shook his head miserably. She stroked her thumbs across his cheeks. "They love you Clark, I'm sure they're worried to death about you. But listen to me, you are not to blame for this. If anyone is, your real father is. But not you. And I know that your mom would never blame you for this."

"How could you know that? You don't know even know her." He whispered again, closing his eyes.

She shrugged. "She's your _mother_. You're her _son_."

It was that simple, and Clark felt a rush of emotion so strong that it threatened to overwhelm him completely. He felt like such a jerk for all he'd put his parents through, running away from home, not calling them.

He leaned his forehead against hers. "I could've lost you tonight too."

"But you didn't."

He raised his head and stared into her eyes and she could feel the heat radiating from them. "I love you Lois."

She gasped, not expecting to hear that from him so soon. But as soon as she took the words in, she knew what her only response would be. Swallowing hard, because this took a lot for her to admit, she closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. "I love you too…Clark Kent."

Hearing her say those words, with his real name…it was like nothing Clark had ever felt before. His heart threatened to burst right out of his chest. Taking a breath of his own, to steady his beating heart, he rubbed his hand along her forearm. "I want you Lois."

She took his hand and brought it up to her lips. "Then take me."

He covered her lips with his, and pushed her gently to the pillows, following her down. Covering her body with his. Treasuring her mouth as if he had all night to just kiss her. She arched against him and he pressed her back down.

"No," he said and even to him his voice sounded like gravel. "I want to do this right. Slowly. I want to make love to you Lois."

He ran his lips down the side of her neck while his hands pulled the shirt she'd borrowed from him off and dropped it off the side of the bed. Her quiet little moans sent a bolt of electricity shooting through his entire body and he didn't know if he could keep his promise.

Slowing himself down, he concentrated on her, pleasuring her. Bringing her to her highest point and then watching her float back down to earth. To him. She was beautiful, and his. Tonight. Forever.

Slowly she opened her eyes he saw something that robbed him of his breath. _Love_. It was impossible, improbable really, but she loved him.

She reached out and touched his face, her breath still coming in short gasps. "What do you want Clark?"

"I want you to look at me in fifty years the way you're looking at me right now."

Her fingers teased his skin, making every muscle in his body clench. "And how is that?"

"Like you'll never, ever get enough of me."

She chuckled and brought his lips to hers, kissing him lightly. "I don't think there's any danger of that."

He groaned as she wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing him close to her, trapping him. "Make love to me Clark."

Clark buried his head in Lois' shoulder, both of them panting and covered in a fine sheen of sweat. When he raised his head to look at her, he was stunned by the emotion he saw in her eyes. And in that moment he knew.

"Marry me Lois."

The words were out before he even knew he'd planned to say them and both of them froze. Her eyes widened and then narrowed, as if searching to know if he was being honest or if it was just the heat of the moment. The after-glow as it were.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you Lois. I can't imagine loving anyone else."

"We're eighteen Clark."

"So? I don't need to be older to know that my feelings for you are never going to change. I'm going to love you forever Lois."

And then she surprised him. She smiled, put both hands on his face and kissed him deeply. "I know exactly how you feel. So...yes Clark, I'll marry you."

**_To Be Continued..._**


	5. Chapter 4

**_Chapter Four  
><em>**  
><strong><em><span>The Present<span>_**

Lois checked her watch, again. He was late. _Seven-thirty_, he'd said. _Don't be late_, he'd said. She scoffed to herself, tapping her foot on the curb outside the restaurant. She'd taken her own car, to avoid the drama at the end of the evening. She hated awkwardness and she had no idea how this date was even going to go.

Why had he asked her out so suddenly? She'd seen him around the Planet, always thought he was quite attractive but his arrogance had always put her off. So what had possessed her to say yes? Standing outside the popular Italian restaurant, she shivered. There was a chill in the air and she cursed herself for not having the forethought to bring a jacket. Her dress was hardly suitable for this kind of weather.

Still it was the only dress she owned that wasn't over-the-top. Since this was her first date in…too long, she had refused to make a real special effort with her hair, opting to just leave it down and put a few curls here and there. Her dress was a deep purple colour, knee length with thin spaghetti straps but only showing a modest amount of cleavage. Why hadn't she thought to bring a shawl or something with her?

"Lois?" She turned at the sound of his voice and was momentarily robbed of the ability to answer. He was…handsome for sure. Dressed in a dark blue suit with a burgundy shirt underneath, his hair carefully coifed, this was a man who took care of his appearance. Who probably cared a little too much what others thought of him.

She smiled to herself, he probably spent more time getting ready tonight than she did. He saw her assessing him and swept his own eyes over her body, making her shiver a little more.

"I'm sorry I'm late, my car had a flat. I had to get a cab here. You look stunning." He added, when she didn't look impressed with his excuse.

"Thanks." She cleared her throat and moved toward the door to the restaurant. "Let's go inside, I'm freezing and I haven't eaten since lunch."

"Then by all means." He smiled that dazzling smile that would've had countless women swooning, but left Lois feeling oddly uncomfortable as he followed her inside.

Lois fought the urge to roll her eyes as Matt subtly placed some money in the waiter's hand. He grinned and led them to a private booth at the back of the restaurant. _What am I doing?_

"So Lois, tell me a little bit about yourself." Matt started after the waiter had taken their drink orders.

Lois stared at her menu, well more at the prices on it, and avoided looking at him for a moment. Trying to align her thoughts was becoming a problem. She didn't know why she felt like this. But then she sighed, she knew perfectly well. _Clark._

It was a name she hadn't heard for so long. But the memories, oh if only they were as easy to forget. But they weren't. Sometimes she could still see him, so clearly as if he was right in front of her. And that look on his face the last time she'd ever seen him…it still had the power to hurt her.

She glanced up and saw Matt watching her with curiosity, clearly it wasn't normal for his date to mostly ignore him. And if she wasn't mistaken, he found it…intriguing, judging by his smile. She placed her menu down in front of her and leaned her arms across it, interlacing her fingers together. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything, anything. Are you working on any good stories right now?"

It was a safe topic, and Lois could see why he'd asked. Journalism was her passion, writing for the Daily Planet had been a dream come true. Everyone knew that about her. But it hadn't come without a personal cost to her. But that was what made her fight for it all the more. It was all she had now.

She thought carefully about her answer, she wasn't in the habit of giving leads away but his expression was so earnest and sincere that she found herself wanting to tell him at least something. "Uh well, I'm kinda working on a prostitution story right now."

"Really? That doesn't seem like your usual angle."

She shrugged. "It's not but this is different. But I can't really talk about it."

He held up his hands and smiled. "Say no more, I completely understand."

She smiled back and flinched when his hand came down to rest over hers on the table. But she didn't pull away, instead she left her hand under his, feeling his thumb caress the soft skin.

"So…" she cleared her throat. "What made you ask me out Matt? Do all your cheerleaders have practice tonight?" She felt a little better with the snarky attitude, it made her feel a little more comfortable.

He chuckled and shook his head. "Oh Lois, I like you."

"You said that, but what I want to know is…why?"

He frowned. "What? A guy can't be attracted to a woman who's strong, successful, and gorgeous to boot?"

She rolled her eyes at the thinly veiled flattery. "Is that how you get them into bed? Please, I've heard it all before."

His face was deadly serious as he leaned in closer, tightening his grip on her hand ever so slightly. "Maybe, but this isn't like that. I genuinely like you Lois. I'm not just looking for a one-night stand here. Look I'm well aware of my reputation, I know what people think of me. But I've had my eye on you for a while now."

That sounded way too creepy for Lois' liking but again his expression made her pause. Was she purposefully finding fault in his words? Maybe he did mean what he said. She didn't know how to feel about that. Maybe it was time to let go of her past, put it behind her and focus on her present. Easier said than done but what was she going to do? Never date again?

"All I'm asking is that you give me a chance to prove to you that I mean what I say. That's all I ask."

Lois drew in a deep breath, and with a sense of foreboding, nodded. "Okay then. So tell me, what's going on in the wonderful world of sports these days?"

In retrospect, asking someone like Matthew Filcher about sports was just asking for a boring evening. Unless you were into sports, which Lois definitely wasn't. The fact that she'd learned how to play most sports on the bases she grew up on from men who towered above her didn't really help her.

As she stopped next to her car, she took his jacket off her shoulders and handed it back to him. "I had a nice evening Matt, thanks."

He chuckled and shrugged into his jacket. "You don't have to sound so surprised Lois. We'll be doing this again."

"Oh we will?"

"Uh-huh." He murmured, leaning closer. His face was so close to hers, their lips a millimetre apart. But Lois wasn't quite there yet. So she smiled and patted his cheek.

"Then I guess you'll have no problem waiting for a kiss till then?"

"Ooh burn." He stood back up and rolled his shoulders, trying to maintain his dignity, she thought. "I'll take that as a challenge because something tells me that you, Lois Lane, are definitely worth it."

Without another word he took her hand, placed a gentle kiss on the back of it and then turned and walked away. It was then that she remembered that he didn't have a ride home. She watched him for a moment, standing at the edge of the path, hailing a cab but there were none coming.

She bit her bottom lip, and then sighed. "Hey Matt?"

"Yeah?" It was probably just her imagination but he looked a little too eager to reply. Had he been waiting for her to call him back? _Stop Lois, just stop._

"Would you like a ride home?"

His eyebrows flickered and she could tell he was holding himself back from whatever retort had come to mind. "Uh, that would be great. Thanks."

She nodded in reply and got into her car, cranking the heat up as soon as she could. He got in next to her and paused for a moment, just staring at her.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing. You're just really pretty."

"Uh…thanks. So where do you live?"

His smile was lazy. "Oh about a block away from you."

She did a double take. "What? How do you know where I live?"

He looked at her with a strange expression, like she should've known the answer. "I live a block away from you Lois."

Deciding to let it go, Lois put the car into drive and pulled out of the parking lot. By the time she'd reached his apartment building, the silence was really starting to irritate her. She pulled up and stopped the engine, waiting for him to get out, but he just sat there.

"Matt?"

He blinked and looked over at her. "I don't want to end the night here Lois. How about we go to a club or something?"

Lois frowned, why was he so insistent? She shook her head. "Sorry but I can't. I have things I need to get to."

"Like what? Surely nothing that can't wait until tomorrow. Come on Lois, live a little. Come dancing with me."

He reached over and took one of her hands off the steering wheel, which she hadn't noticed she'd been gripping so hard, and placed it in his lap.

"I really can't. Look tonight was…fun but I really have to go. I have an appointment with someone and I can't blow it off, even for dancing with you."

"Oh, I see." Was he disappointed? Lois shook her head, amazed. Matt was turning out to be nothing at all like she'd pegged him. And she was normally pretty good at reading someone's character. But this guy, he'd turned all that on its head.

"Well at least have dinner with me again. Friday?"

Though Lois was still finding his insistence a little…too much, she had to admit that maybe it was simply because she wasn't used to this kind of attention. No one had really tried to get to know her since Clark. Which was fine, because she didn't really want them to. But with Matt, it was weird, she found herself wanting to see where this would all lead.

"Sure, Friday sounds good."

"You could sound a little happier about it." He chuckled, leaning his head back against the seat to stare at her.

"Sorry I just…it's been a really long day. Friday sounds great."

"Fantastic, I'll pick you up at eight."

She opened her mouth to protest but his expression, along with the fact that he only lived a block away made her shut it again. She simply nodded and stiffened a little when he leaned in close to her. Was he going to kiss her? And worse, would she kiss him back?

She got her answer when he pressed his lips to her cheek in a sweet little kiss that lasted about two seconds. Then he opened his door, winked at her, and then left.

She watched him walk into his building, the door closing softly behind him. Did he even have a flat tyre on his car? Or had this all been some part of a plan?

"Seriously Lois," she grumbled to herself as she pulled away. "Face it, you're annoyed because he was perfect. A little too perfect maybe, but you're just finding reasons to not like him now."

Shaking her head at herself, she drove back to her own apartment. After a quick change of clothes into something more comfortable, she checked her answer machine, and heard two messages from Colby asking for her help on something. It wasn't urgent so it could wait until morning. She had somewhere she needed to be. Checking her watch, she grabbed her keys and headed out the door.

"You have it all arranged?" Morgan asked Bruno as he stepped into his office. There were never any pleasantries with him. It was always straight down to business.

"Yes sir. Everything is scheduled to go ahead tonight. The first stage of testing is about to take place."

Morgan Edge turned to face him, smiling coldly. Although Bruno had never really seen the man with a warm smile. It was chilling, the way he stared. "Good, you know what to do."

"Yes sir." He had just gotten to the door when Morgan called him back.

"I take it I no longer need to worry about Lois Lane?"

"After tonight sir, she won't be a problem anymore."

Morgan's eyes narrowed. "I did warn you that killing her will bring us attention that we don't need right now. I made that clear enough did I not?"

"Don't worry, I've got everything under control. She's not in danger, well not physically anyway."

Again that cold smile appeared. "I like your style Bruno. Keep me updated."

And with that Bruno was dismissed. _This better work_, he thought as he walked out of the room. Because the consequences would be too horrible to even think about.

Deep in the section of Metropolis that had been aptly named 'Suicide Slums' Lois entered the newly renovated apartment building. On the surface it looked just like any other apartment block but underneath, she knew what really went on. And it made her angry.

Stepping out of the elevator onto the ninth floor, Lois made a beeline for the apartment number she'd been given earlier. She had barely knocked twice before the door was ripped open and she was dragged inside by her collar.

"Hey!" she protested, but the woman who'd grabbed her put a finger to her lips.

"Ssh! I don't want you to be seen by anyone. They can't know that I'm talking to you."

Lois frowned, taking in the woman's appearance. She was pretty, but so thin it looked like she hadn't eaten in a month. Her clothes were new, but not expensive looking. But it was her eyes that got to Lois the most. They looked so…haunted. Like a person who had seen way too much bad stuff in her life. "Melissa, are you okay?"

Melissa let out a hysterical laugh. "Okay? No I'm not okay Lois. You've gotta blow the lid off this thing. My boss is…well he won't take what I'm about to do lightly."

Lois sat down on the sofa next to Melissa and took her hand, trying to offer as much support as she could. The poor woman was terrified. Clearly being forced to do something she didn't want to do.

"Tell me everything Melissa, I promise I will do my best to make sure that whatever Intergang are doing ends here."

Melissa ran a shaky hand through her bleached blonde locks, unsure of where to start. Her eyes took on a glassy look as she spoke, almost like she wasn't even there with her. "I used to have brown hair, like yours. But they made me bleach it. Customers pay more for blondes, did you know that?"

Lois stayed quiet since she didn't really think Melissa was looking for an answer. But the question alone made Lois shudder.

"They take a percentage, not much because they want us to think they're doing us favours. The people in this building, most of them were homeless until a few weeks ago. My boss…he said that they're just trying to clean up the streets. That this kind of thing is safer for us because we're not out there. In here we're _protected_." She laughed again but Lois heard the pain underneath it. "We pay rent of course, nothing comes for free."

"Who is your boss?" Lois asked quietly.

"I only know his first name and I don't even think it's his real one. He goes by the name of Lucas. I've only ever seen him twice but he's…scary. You don't ever want to make him angry."

"How are the police not aware of what's going on here?"

"Because everyone here, _everyone_ is too scared to talk. Last time someone tried, she ended up 'moving to a new area' and we never saw her again."

Tears were welling up in her eyes and Lois just wanted to hug her, but she didn't think it would be appreciated. So she just held onto her hand, feeling her fingers dig in as if she were holding on for dear life.

"How long have you been here Melissa?" Lois asked, swallowing the lump forming in her throat.

"Three months. It's not all bad, I guess. I mean if it was just the…I could deal you know? But there's something else going on, something that none of us are supposed to know about. But I've heard whispers, rumours."

"About what?"

"They're planning something. I don't know what it is but it's big, and we're they're guinea pigs."

"We have to tell the police."

Melissa gripped her hand tight, making Lois wince. Desperation flashed in her eyes. "No Lois you can't! You promised. It won't help!"

"Why not?"

"Because a couple of them _are_ cops. They won't help me now."

Lois blinked in shock, unable to say anything. How was she supposed to help this woman if she couldn't rely on the authorities? She drew in a deep breath, calmed herself and gently grabbed Melissa by the shoulders. "Melissa, I promised I would do everything I could, and I will. I'm going to expose this whole thing. Bring it down. I'm willing to bet good money that the Mayor's involved somehow, I can't see him turning a blind eye to all of this."

Melissa frowned and shook her head. "I've never seen the Mayor around here. He's too important to visit a place like this. But why would he be working with Intergang?"

"Because I refuse to believe that he would overlook anything that Morgan Edge has been up to. And the Mayor has given Morgan his backing to continue cleaning up the streets. This place has been a pain in the Mayor's side for years, now someone is finally doing something about it, cleaning it up, at least on the surface so it makes him look better to offer him his assistance doesn't it?"

"I guess. Lois, this is bigger than I thought, please be careful. If they find out I talked to you, I'll be dead, I know that. But you'll be a target too and I don't want that, you've been so kind to me."

"Don't you worry about me, I can handle myself." Lois replied with conviction. "These jerks aren't going to get away with this Melissa, I promise you that."

For the first time since Lois arrived, Melissa smiled a genuine, warm smile. "Thank you Lois, I don't know what I would've done without you."

"Just stay strong, I'll get you out of here soon okay?"

Melissa walked her to the door, and after peering out and checking the hallway she nodded. "You're safe. Go quickly and don't look back."

Lois was shocked when Melissa gave her a quick hug and then pretty much shoved her out of the door, slamming it shut and locking it behind her. Lois ran to the elevator, adrenalin making her practically hum.

She heard the sirens approaching as she drove away, an ambulance and two police cars were heading down a nearby alley. Frowning, Lois decided to follow. Something was going on in this neighbourhood and Lois needed to know exactly what she was up against. She parked her car at the entrance to the alley and made the rest of the way down on foot.

She was soon stopped by an officer who looked like he was about to lose his lunch. "Ma'am you can't be down here. Leave please, there's nothing for you to see."

"What's going on?" Not that she expected an answer but she had to ask.

"Nothing for you to know about. Now leave."

She reluctantly nodded and turned but hesitated as one of the paramedic's voices drifted over to her.

"Looks like an OD. Nothing we can do for him."

"Best guess on what it was?" An officer asked.

"I don't know, but it's not like a reaction to any drug I've ever seen. Just look at his eyes."

"Ma'am, go. I won't tell you again." The officer nudged her along and she walked away, taking one last look at the scene before getting into her car and heading home.

Once she was safely locked inside her own apartment, Lois sat down at her laptop and began working.

Two days later Lois was no closer to having anything fit to print. She hadn't gotten any sleep last night but she was still too wired to worry about that. She had to figure this thing out. Problem was, she needed more evidence, more than just the word of one person. She needed to find solid proof of what they were up to. After talking to Perry, who'd been adamant that she wasn't to submit anything without his prior knowledge, she knew she had to find more people to talk to.

But Melissa wasn't answering her phone and Lois only had the one number to contact her on. She contemplated visiting her again, but if she was seen she would get Melissa in trouble and she didn't want that.

She sat at her table eating breakfast, watching the news channel with wide eyes. The man in the alley had died of a massive overdose, but the strange part was that no one seemed to know what drug had caused it. It was something they hadn't seen before. Lois had a weird feeling that this might, in some way, be connected but again, she needed proof.

She stood up and placed her bowl in the kitchen sink when there was a sharp, loud knock on her door.

"Lois Lane?" Two uniformed officers and a man in a black suit, a detective, stood on the other side.

"Yes?"

He flashed his badge at her. "I'm Detective Philips, may we come inside?"

"Why?" Lois folded her arms across her chest, effectively blocking any access to her apartment.

"We do have a search warrant, please don't make this harder than it has to be."

"What the hell? Why do you have a search warrant for _my_ apartment?"

"Because we received an anonymous tip of your whereabouts two nights ago and we need to search your apartment." He replied simply, pushing his way past her and into her living room. Lois stood there, feeling a cold wash of dread sweep through her, rendering her speechless for a moment. _Melissa_,_ oh please no_.

She was dimly aware of Detective Philips standing in front of her, talking to her, but she didn't hear a word he said. All she saw was the officers going through her things.

"Miss Lane!" The snap in his voice brought her attention back to him. "Where were you two nights ago between ten pm and midnight?"

"I uh…I went to visit someone."

"In Suicide Slums?"

"Yes. I had an interview with someone there."

He flipped open his little black notepad and frowned. "Melissa Chambers?"

That cold feeling raced up the back of her neck. "Is she okay?" she asked, knowing full well that these guys would not be here if she was.

"No I'm afraid she's not. She was murdered two nights ago. The coroner states her time of death as somewhere between ten and midnight. So tell me Miss Lane, what was the purpose of your visit? Did you know her?"

Lois tried to swallow, but her throat felt like it was closing up. Melissa was dead, because she'd talked…to her. "She was…an informant. She was helping me on an article."

"And what article was that?"

"I…" she snapped her mouth shut, remembering Melissa's words that some police men were also involved in whatever was going on. "I can't tell you."

Detective Philips sighed and snapped his notebook shut. "Look Miss Lane, I'm going to be straight with you. You're in a lot of trouble here."

"How much trouble?"

"A lot. Your DNA was found at the scene, on the victim. A witness placed you there at the time of her death. You see where I'm going with this?"

"I didn't do it." She whispered. "My DNA was there because I visited her, and she hugged me. That's all there is to it. You have no proof."

"If it happened as you say it did, you have nothing to worry about do you? Unfortunately, your DNA, which was hair by the way, was found on her body, but it was also found on the door of the apartment, with blood on it. Therefore you had to have been there _after_ she was murdered."

Lois' eyes went so wide they almost popped out of her head. "No! That's not…I didn't do that!"

The detective sighed again, and he actually looked a little sad as he removed his cuffs from behind his back.

"Lois Lane, you're under arrest for the murder of Melissa Chambers."

**_To Be Continued..._**


	6. Chapter 5

**_Chapter Five_**  
><strong><em><br>The Past_**

"I can't believe we did it." Lois mused, standing outside Clark's apartment. "We actually did it."

Clark turned to her then, his smile radiant, making any lingering doubts fade away. He looked gorgeous, standing there in his dark suit, his tie loose around his neck and his collar unbuttoned. She had chosen a dress that wasn't over the top, just a plain cream coloured, strapless gown that clung to her curves, and flowed to the floor.

She'd thought it was more appropriate than a massive wedding dress since it had been a quick ceremony with only two other people there to act as their witnesses. Two people she had never met in her life, yet they had witnessed the most significant thing to happen in hers. Clark had taken care of all that, she didn't know how but she assumed he'd just paid them to appear.

Her life had changed drastically in the last six weeks. But she wouldn't have changed a single second of it for anything.

"Any regrets?" he asked, leaning in close and taking both her hands in his.

She thought about her father and Lucy, and knowing that the General would be furious about this hadn't deterred her at all. This was her life, and she loved Clark deeply. That was all there was to it.

She shook her head. "Nope, not one." She paused and studied him for a second. "What about you?"

His brows rose. "Do I regret marrying you?"

She let out a surprised yelp as Clark moved literally like a blur, swept her off her feet and into his arms. Staring deeply into her eyes, he smiled. "I love you Lois. And I know that as long as I live, I could never regret this day."

It seemed like there was a hidden 'but' there but Lois decided not to push it as once again she was lost in the warmth and passion of his kiss. He unlocked the door and moved inside, carrying her over the threshold. But once inside, he still didn't put her down and she looked up to see him still staring at her.

There was something in his eyes, something hidden that she thought he didn't want her to see. Although he said that this was the happiest day of his life, he seemed almost sad.

Cupping his face in her hands, she whispered. "What's wrong Clark?"

He sighed, as if in resignation. Slowly he let her slide to the floor but kept his arms around her, holding her tightly against him. He took a few moments to breathe in her scent then pulled back. "It's just…"

"What?" she asked softly.

"My parents are going to be hurt." There was a deep anguish in his voice that made Lois' chest ache. She didn't know how to help him.

"I know." She replied, playing with the tie dangling against his chest. "Maybe we shouldn't have been so impulsive and…"

"No." He tilted her chin up. "Listen to me Lois, never for one minute think that I don't want this. I need you in my life, you make all the bad stuff seem so…distant. When I'm with you I feel…I _feel_."

She understood, sort of. "Then we'll go to Smallville tomorrow."

"What?" Clearly that had been the last thing he'd thought she'd say.

"Tomorrow, you and I will head to Smallville and tell your parents that we're married. Together."

He tilted his head and grimaced. "Lois I don't know if that's such a good idea…"

She put a finger to his lips and then kissed him. "Clark, you need to do this. You need to forgive yourself and give them the chance to do that too."

"You don't understand, I don't know if I can…"

"I know you can. It'll be hard, but I'll be there with you. Clark they're your parents, they deserve to hear about this from you. They love you, not sure they'll be crazy about me but they'll be happy to have you back."

Clark frowned. "I'm sorry Lois, I've been selfish. I'd been thinking of my parents today but I never stopped to realise that you might've been thinking of your father."

She shook her head and smiled, but it felt stretched on her face. "Not in that way. I know he won't approve of this, us, but honestly I don't care. Is there a small part of me that wishes he would see how happy I am and be happy _for_ me? Sure. But he's never really shown any real interest in my life, he just wants me to do whatever he has planned for me. He sent Lucy off to boarding school as soon as she was old enough to go, he dragged me around the world like a spare piece of luggage. He probably isn't even aware that I've been gone all this time."

Clark hated hearing her talk like that, surely her father missed her, wondered where she was. "I'm sure that's not true. Whatever his faults Lois I know that he loves you."

She shrugged, not wanting the subject to turn to her father. "Clark, really I'm okay. So stop worrying about me and let's focus on you, okay?"

Clark drew in a breath, feeling his chest get lighter with her words, and he wondered how she did it. How had he been lucky enough to find this woman? It seemed so unlikely, and yet at the worst time in his life, she had appeared and she'd forced him to see things from a different perspective.

Since taking off the red kryptonite ring, he'd felt emotions he'd never wanted to feel again. When he ran away from Smallville, he swore never to go back. He wanted to block out all the hurt and pain. And for a while the red k made it possible to do that. But no matter how much it helped, the pain was still there, buried deep but still there.

But somehow Lois made it easier to deal with, when he was with her, he felt as if he could handle it. And even though her tone had always been soft, she'd always told it like she saw it. Sometimes her words hurt, and others they made him see things so clearly. Which was why he'd never put the ring on again. He didn't need it, not while he had Lois.

He drew in a deep breath. "Okay, tomorrow we'll go. I just hope they'll see me."

"Don't talk like that. They'll be over the moon and you know it."

"How do you know that Lois? How could you know?"

She shrugged. "Because, to have raised someone like you, your parents must be pretty awesome."

"They really are." He fell silent as memories hit him, memories of him and his parents, laughing, enjoying life on the farm. He wanted that back. But could they move on from the pain he had caused them?

"I can't wait to meet them." Lois said, but Clark could hear the little wobble in her voice.

"Hey, there's no need to be nervous. They're going to love you."

"Well, we'll see. Not a lot of parents would be happy to come face to face with the girl that had stolen their only son away from them." She chuckled.

Lois saw a gleam appear in his eyes, dark and seductive. "You are so beautiful." He murmured, drawing her back into his arms. "Today's our wedding day."

The words caused a frisson of shock and excitement up her spine. She glanced down at her dress. "Huh, I wondered why I was wearing this ridiculous get-up."

"Oh it's many things but ridiculous is not one of them. It's sexy, I like it." His finger ran along the curve of her dress just above her breasts. Slowly her tongue came out and licked her bottom lip, making him almost groan in response. "Beautiful." He whispered, to himself more than to her.

She wriggled out of his grasp, and started to walk away, swaying her hips on purpose, chuckling at the way his jaw dropped as she said. "You should see what's underneath the dress."

Before she'd even made it to the bedroom doorway, there was another blur and the next thing she knew, Clark had her up against the wall. As soon as his mouth covered hers, heat exploded in her belly. Flames of need licked and danced along her flesh until she was whimpering against the sensual assault of his mouth.

His hands delved into her hair, holding her head as he deepened the kiss. She heard him groan with need as his hands left her hair to skim down her sides, to grasp her by the hips. The sheer power of his gaze robbed her of the ability to do anything but swallow, his eyes were so dark and she could see the desire pulsing through him, could feel it too. She grinned as she rocked herself against him, hearing his sharp intake of breath.

"Lois…" he warned, breathlessly.

She put a finger to his lips, becoming aware that she too, was trembling. Only he could do this to her, she realised. She'd never reacted to anyone this way before. The intensity of her need for him was actually a little scary. "No, don't speak. Just love me."

With a low appreciative growl, he picked her up and walked into the bedroom and, still kissing her, slammed the door shut with his foot.

Lois slowly opened her eyes the next morning, groaned and quickly squeezed them shut again. The sunlight streaming in from the open curtains was hitting her directly in the face. She flipped over onto her stomach and reached out next to her, feeling for Clark and coming up with nothing but an empty, cold space beside her. Levering herself up onto one elbow, she squinted around the room.

"Clark?" she called but there was no answer. Where was he? Last night had been the most amazing night she had ever experienced. It was like…he didn't hold back, everything he was feeling, came out through his body and she had never felt more loved. It was hard to believe that he wouldn't be here to wake up next to.

With a sigh she put her head back down on her pillow, breathing in his scent, feeling the warmth from the sun heating her bare back. It felt nice. Almost like fingers running ever so lightly across her naked skin. She frowned, actually it felt a lot like fingers. She turned her head and saw her new husband sitting on the edge of the bed, smiling down at her.

Before she could say anything, his head swooped down and he pressed a kiss to her lips. "Morning beautiful."

"Hey, where were you?" she asked, noting that he wasn't as naked as he'd been when they'd finally fallen asleep in the early hours of the morning.

"I needed some air and I heard someone in trouble so…" He tailed off with a shrug but quickly took off his clothes and climbed back into bed, gathering her close to him.

"Are you ready for today?" she asked, rubbing her palm across his broad chest. Just doing that made the heat stir within her. But she knew how nervous he was about returning to his hometown. She also knew that it was too important to pass up. He had to do this, otherwise he might never recover from what happened there. And his poor parents must be worried out of their minds by now.

His hand stroked lazily up and down her back as he gazed off into space. "I think so." His eyes met hers. "Last night was…incredible, Lois."

"I know." Tenderly, she cupped his cheek in her palm, drawing him in for a kiss.

"Mmm." Clark licked his lips as she pulled back. "I got us some breakfast. What are you in the mood for?"

"Oh I'm in the mood…" she smiled wickedly. "Just not for breakfast."

Clark grinned and pushed her back into the mattress.

_This was not a good idea, _Clark thought. Though he could feel Lois' hand squeezing his in support, the nerves that had been building up since he'd woken that morning were now beginning to overtake him. Standing at the end of the dirt road that led to the Kent farm, he drew in a sharp breath, the familiar scents hitting him like a truck, bringing back memories. Some were painful, most were enjoyable.

"Are you okay?" Lois said in a quiet voice beside him. He glanced down at her, longing to tell her that he wasn't, that he didn't think he could do this. But the love he saw in her eyes stopped him. She was here for him, she always would be. She looked so beautiful, he thought, her hair windblown and her cheeks rosy from the ride here. He'd wanted to take the train, anything to give him more time to prepare, but he hadn't been able to deny Lois when she'd asked if he could run them to Smallville. And from the cheers he'd heard from her, she'd clearly enjoyed it.

That was still a strange notion to him, that his abilities could be enjoyed by someone else. They'd only ever caused the people he loved pain before. Sure he'd been out most nights, protecting people in Metropolis wherever they'd needed it but it was entirely different to have someone appreciate what he could do, enjoy it and laugh but not expect anything from it.

He offered a small smile and nodded, but closed his hand tightly around hers. "I honestly…don't know."

She rubbed his shoulder and started walking. "Come on, you can do this Clark."

He hesitated, his eyes going to the house. The back door opened and his mother stepped outside, shielding her eyes from the midmorning sun. Even from here Clark could see how tired she looked and another wave of guilt assaulted him. Lois stood waiting for him to follow, but as his mother's eyes fell on him, he was rooted to the spot. He heard a truck approaching and turned just in time to see his dad pull up behind him.

"Clark?" Jonathan Kent exited the truck, engine still running, and marched towards his son. "Son!"

The next few moments passed in a kind of haze for Clark. All he was really aware of was his father's arms wrapped around him, dragging him into a massive bear hug. His mother's frantic but excited voice screaming his name as she ran to them.

"Oh my God, Clark!" she cried, wrapping him up in a hug as soon as Jonathan released him. "We've been so worried, we didn't know what to do…"

"I'm so sorry mom." He murmured against her hair, tears stinging the back of his eyes. "For everything, the baby…"

She quickly pulled back and cupped his face. "We never, _ever_ blamed you Clark. You're my son!"

Clark tried to swallow the lump in his throat, unsuccessfully and instead of replying, because he didn't trust his voice not to betray him, he just hugged her again, and this time Jonathan moved in and wrapped his arms around his family.

It was both heart-warming and heart-breaking to see, Lois thought as she stood back, letting them have their moment. She felt kind of awkward, not really knowing what to do. She had come to support Clark, but from the looks of it, he didn't need it and she wasn't entirely sure her being here was a good idea anymore.

Three pairs of eyes all of a sudden turned to her, one shining with love, the other two clouded with confusion and the emotion of finally having their son back.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Clark's mom, who was called Martha, if she remembered it right, spoke politely.

"Uh mom, dad, this is Lois. We met in Metropolis. Lois, my parents Jonathan and Martha Kent." Clark said, moving to stand next to her. Lois waited for him to say something else, but he stayed quiet. Frowning, she moved forward, extending a hand.

"Mr and Mrs Kent, I've heard a lot about you. You have a remarkable son."

Martha shook her hand and smiled, but Jonathan was wary. Clark had told her about his dad's fear of him being discovered and subsequently taken away from them. So his expression right now was not exactly a surprise.

"Are you a friend of Clark's?" Martha asked. Lois didn't know how to respond. She nodded slowly but felt Clark's arm drape across her shoulders.

Jonathan stepped forward and smiled politely. "Sorry Lois but this is kind of a family matter…you understand?"

"Actually dad she is family, she's my…wife."

Clark tried not to squirm under the intense gazes of both his parents as he sat at the kitchen table. His mom looked as he'd expected, hurt and shocked. But his dad, he was positively brimming with anger. Clark didn't even know where to begin. All he knew was this silence was worse than anything they would say. He just wished they would say something.

Lois was at the Talon, having made a quick escape after he'd blurted the truth out. He didn't even know why he'd done it that way, he'd wanted to sit them down and explain the situation to them, but his emotions had all been on the surface and he'd suddenly wanted them to know that she was his wife.

With the damage now done, and the silence growing thicker by the second, Clark cleared his throat.

"Look mom, dad…"

"Clark, for over two months we've been looking for you." Jonathan started. "_Two months_ we wondered if something had happened to you. Our only peace of mind that you were even alive came from the fact that we'd read in the paper about a mysterious person with powers saving people in the city. You can't possibly understand how much you have put your mother and me through." As if for clarification, Jonathan squeezed his wife's hand. She squeezed back but stayed silent, her eyes misting over as if she was about to cry.

"I know, and I'm so sorry. I really am. I just…"

"I can understand the running away part. I can even understand why you chose the red kryptonite ring to help you. You were hurting. But son, you put us through hell. You avoided your problems and just ran away instead of facing them."

Obviously this wasn't going to be easy, but Clark had known that anyway. He just didn't know how to fix this. "What would you have done dad? To be told that you're destined to rule the earth, to rule humans. Then to find out that you were the cause of…" He trailed off, not wanting to remind his mom of the pain she'd gone through.

Jonathan's face softened, but only a little, he was still angry. "We understand all of that. And you came back to us, just like we knew you would. Eventually. But what I can't understand or even begin to fathom, is this_ girl_…"

"Lois." Clark interjected.

"Clark, you went off and married a girl that you barely know!" His mother said, coming close to yelling. He'd never heard that tone in her voice before, anger, pain, and…disappointment. And somehow, the last one hurt worse than the others. "Marriage is sacred, I thought we at least taught you that much!"

"You did! Mom please listen, I didn't marry Lois on a whim, or because I was on red kryptonite. I took the ring off when I was with her."

The shock registered on their faces. "You mean you took it off…willingly?"

Clark nodded. "I fell in love with her, mom."

"You're eighteen, you don't know what love really is. If you did, you wouldn't have done this. God Clark, you _married_ her!"

"Yes, I married her, because I love her!"

Jonathan slammed his fist down on the table. "Enough! Clark, did you tell this girl your secret? Does she know about you?"

He met Jonathan's gaze, refusing to look away. "Yes, she knows everything."

To say his father was unhappy to hear that would be an understatement. His face turned a deep shade of red and his mouth opened and closed as if he didn't even know how to respond.

Placing his palms flat on the table in front of him, Clark stared at them instead of his parents. It was time to tell them the whole story. "I was so lost in Metropolis, just doing whatever I wanted, taking whatever I wanted. I'm not proud of the person I was there. I did a lot of things that I knew were wrong. But then I met Lois, and something changed. She was like me…lost, unsure what to do with her life. She didn't have anywhere to stay so I invited her to stay with me because I didn't want her to sleep in her car."

"Well we raised you to do right." Martha said grudgingly, but she was at least listening and for that Clark was grateful.

"And she agreed to just…stay with a stranger?" Clark could hear the disparaging note in his father's voice and for a moment irritation at his suggestion of Lois surged up. But he pushed it back down.

"I kinda talked her into it. I made sure she knew that she was safe with me. Over the next few weeks we began to get really close, we talked, shared a lot about ourselves and yes, for some reason, I told her my secret. I was just so tired of the lies and secrets and the pain, I just wanted someone to look at me and see _me_."

"And what was her reaction?" Martha asked.

"She thought I was lying, that maybe she'd walked into a serial killer's apartment." He smiled at the memory of her wielding a frying pan at him. "But then she asked me to prove it, so I did."

"And how do you know she isn't just biding her time to go public with this?" Jonathan asked, a muscle twitching in his jaw.

Clark shot him a glare but quickly schooled his features into a mask of politeness. "I know she isn't. You don't understand, you couldn't possibly understand what she's done for me. She loves me, not because I can bench press a tractor, or because I can run to any country in the blink of an eye. She loves me for me. And she accepts all of me. I've never had that before."

"You had that from us." Martha said sadly.

"I know that Mom, but this is different. Lois never let me forget about Smallville, after I'd told her what had happened, she talked about it with me, and she didn't judge, she just supported me. She convinced me that it was time to come home. To face my fears. So if you are angry, be angry with me, not her. None of this is her fault."

Jonathan bristled. "I just find it very convenient that she happens to find you in a big city, alone and…"

"Dad, I wasn't vulnerable. I was in trouble. Don't you get it? Lois…she saved me."

His parents shared a quick glance before turning back to him. Martha leaned forward and covered his hands with hers over the table. "We're just happy to have you back. What happened in the past, none of that matters anymore. You're home, where you belong."

Clark smiled, feeling a little relieved, then he frowned. "And what about Lois?"

"I'm assuming you won't go for an annulment." Jonathan asked.

Clark shook his head, amazed that his dad still didn't understand how important Lois was to him. "Can't get an annulment dad."

Jonathan gasped. "You mean you consummated the…?"

That wasn't what he'd meant to imply but Clark nodded anyway, feeling his cheeks heat a little. "Lois and I are married, for better or for worse. She's my wife, and I hope that you can respect that."

Martha shook her head, clearly still unsure about the whole thing. "I think I would like to meet this girl, properly this time."

Clark grinned. "That can be arranged."

"I'm serious Clark! What if they hate me? Your dad must still be pretty angry." Lois argued later that evening. It had been one heck of an afternoon, Clark thought. First with his parents, then finding out that Lois had a cousin, who lived in Smallville and was none other then his best friend, Chloe Sullivan. Talk about a small world.

They'd met at the Talon and after getting over the initial shock of seeing her cousin, Chloe was happy and spent most of the afternoon catching up with Lois. At least until Clark arrived. Then her whole demeanor had changed. She was glad he was back but she made no secret of the fact that she hated him for just leaving her like that. He didn't know how he could make that right again, but he knew he had to try.

He also knew at some point that he would have to tell her that he and Lois were married and he wasn't looking forward to her reaction.

Right now though, he had bigger problems. He paused at the front door of the farmhouse and turned to face his wife. The sun was beginning to set, and the image of her there with a glowing orange background would be seared into his mind forever.

Placing his hands on her shoulders, which he realised were shaking, he leaned in and kissed her softly. "Lois, I dropped a pretty big bomb on them today and they still want to meet you. I think that says a lot. Come on, you'll be fine I promise."

He led her inside and into the living room where his parents were standing, Jonathan's arm around Martha's shoulders, mirroring the way she and Clark were currently standing. Could she dare to hope that they would turn out like that? Like Clark's parents, with so much love that it was obvious for anyone to see. She hoped so.

She bit her lip nervously as Martha stepped forward. "Don't look so nervous Lois, we don't bite."

Lois managed a smile and felt Clark's hand squeeze her shoulder. "I'm uh…I'm sorry that we did what we did. Getting married like that…" Her eyes widened. "Oh God, I mean…I'm not sorry that I married Clark, I could never be sorry for that but I'm sorry that we were so secretive about it. But if it makes you feel any better I didn't invite my family either. Not that I really have much of one but you know…"

To her surprise, Martha's face crinkled as a grin broke out and she chuckled. "Lois, you're rambling." Then she took a deep breath and sobered. "I won't lie, I'm not happy that you two got married at such a young age. But Clark clearly loves you and from what I can see, you love him too."

"I do…" Lois nodded vehemently. "Very much so."

Martha nodded. "That's good. Because my son deserves the best."

An odd expression appeared as Martha seemed to be studying her, as if looking for something hidden, though Lois had no idea what it could be. She felt exposed, like she was on trial for something and she was only dimly aware of her husband at her side, supporting her. She shook her head, it was supposed to be the other way around. She had dragged him here, promising that she'd support him and yet what had she really done?

She cleared her throat, not wanting to, but knowing she had to clear something up. "Listen Mr and Mrs Kent, I just want you to know that I will never betray Clark's secret to anyone."

She noticed that Jonathan flinched at the mention of Clark's secret, but he stayed silent. "I know you must be worried but you really don't need to be. I mean, he's special and he has the biggest heart I've ever known, and I would never want anything bad to happen to him because of me. So I give you all my word, right here, right now, that I will take his secret to my grave."

Clark was impressed, not only because his wife was the most amazing person he'd ever met, but because her speech had not only gotten his mother actually smiling with warmth at her, but also because his father was starting to melt too. He could see it from his expression, Jonathan was starting to feel a little calmer about Lois Lane. Kent. Clark frowned, would she want to take his name? They hadn't really talked about what she'd call herself. But there was time for that. They had the rest of their lives together to figure it out.

Jonathan stepped up next to his wife. "Lois…"

There was a brief pause during which both Clark and Lois held their breath.

Then the tension seemed to slowly ebb away as he nodded and a ghost of a smile appeared. "You can stay with us, in Clark's room of course. He'll take the sofa." He said pointedly just as Clark's jaw dropped. Clark nodded, of course his parents wouldn't let them sleep in the same room.

"Thank you Mr Kent, I appreciate that."

"What about your parents Lois? Won't they be concerned about you?"

Feeling a little raw, Lois shook her head, chuckling mirthlessly. "I doubt it, my mom's dead and my father…well he's a General so…you get the picture."

Jonathan frowned. "I'm sorry about your mother. But I'm sure your father must be wondering where you are."

"Probably, but I highly doubt he's looking all that hard." She regretted her words as soon as she saw the frown deepen on Jonathan's face. It really wasn't something she wanted to get into. She shrugged and wrapped an arm around Clark's waist. "It doesn't matter anyway. I have all the family I need right here."

Something strange happened then, and Clark couldn't work out why but his mother had tears in her eyes as she moved forward and put her arms around Lois. After hesitating for a few minutes, Lois slowly relaxed into the hug.

Clearing her throat, Martha stepped back and smiled. "Well since I was deprived of attending my own son's wedding…" she added a chuckle to lighten her words. "Please tell me there are at least photographs for me to look at."

Lois breathed a sigh of relief and sagged against Clark, who held her up with a strong arm around her waist.

"Don't worry Mom, we got plenty of those." He replied, wondering exactly where he'd left them.

"Excellent. Well I'll get started on dinner and you can get Lois settled in your room then wash up."

"Thanks Mom." He grabbed Lois' hand and led her up the stairs, feeling much better than he had in a long time. Once they reached his room, he closed the door behind him and watched as Lois walked around, taking in everything. Even some things he didn't want her to see.

"You have an Elmer Fudd nightlight?" she asked, barely holding back her laughter.

"It was a present." He said defensively. "And…it's my favourite."

"Uh-huh." She nodded, not at all convinced but not pressing the issue either.

Clark moved away from the door and turned her towards him. Then before she could say anything, he brought his head down and pressed his lips to hers.

She quickly pulled away, placing both hands on his chest. "Clark! Your parents are downstairs."

"So? We _are_ married."

"That doesn't mean I want them to know what we get up to."

Clark groaned disappointedly as she extracted herself from his grasp then watched as she looked in his closet.

"Wow, that is a lot of flannel." She chuckled. "So you're like…a regular farmer Joe huh Smallville?"

His brows flickered. "Smallville?"

She shrugged, grinning. "I like it, it suits you."

Shaking his head, Clark opened the door. "Lois, we should go downstairs now."

"How come?"

"Because if I am alone with you much longer, I won't be able to keep my hands to myself, and I'm really trying."

Clark had the satisfaction of seeing her blush for a second before she nodded. "Okay then, let's go."

"What do you think?" Martha asked her husband as she started getting some ingredients together in the kitchen. Jonathan stood leaning against the counter, that frown still there.

"I don't know sweetheart, I really don't. I don't like what she said about her father. Surely she knows he must be worried."

"Something tells me that's a complicated relationship."

"And what about our son? What kind of relationship is she going to have with him?"

Martha shot him a reproachful glance. "Jonathan, it's hardly the same. They're married whether we like it or not. I'll admit they're young but at least they've been honest and told us. And I believe that they are in love. Couldn't you see it?"

He shook his head, her husband was so stubborn sometimes. "Honestly? No I couldn't."

"The only girl I've ever seen him look at was Lana Lang and I never once saw him look at her the way he looked at Lois today. We have to face facts Jonathan, Clark has changed and Lois is a big part of that change."

"Maybe so but I still don't like this situation."

"We don't have to like it honey, we just have to accept it. Because if we don't…I fear we could lose Clark for good."

The weight of her words hung thick in the air around them, creating a silence that neither wanted to break.

_**To Be Continued...**_


	7. Chapter 6

**_Chapter Six_**

**_The Present_**

Of all the things to happen to Lois Lane, getting arrested for murder had to be the most ridiculous. As if she could kill anyone, as if? Now, stalking around her cell like the ground would burn her feet if she stopped moving, she waited. They'd kept her here for almost two days now, questioning her, pushing her.

But since technically they thought they had evidence, they could keep her for as long as they wanted. She'd called her cousin, getting no response before remembering that Chloe was away on her honeymoon. Perry was trying his best to help her and the only other person she could call…well she flat out refused to ever speak to _him_again. Her father had no place in her life anymore.

"Lois Lane, you have a visitor." A tall, broad officer opened her door and stepped aside for her to exit.

"Who?" she asked, getting nothing from him but a raised eyebrow and his hand at her elbow guiding her into a private room with a mirror on one wall. A mirror which she knew was double-sided. How many times had she been in a room like this? Getting a story or a quote. She'd lost count. And now she was on the other end of the story and the worst part was that no one was willing to listen to her. Not even the contacts she had at this place. They had all turned their backs on her.

There was a man standing next to the table in the centre of the room. He looked…expensive was the only word that would come to mind. Obviously a lawyer, from the expensive suit to the gelled back hair and glasses, he just screamed intelligence and he stood as if his mere presence alone demanded respect.

"Miss Lane?" he asked politely, holding out his hand.

She frowned and folded her arms. "Who are you?"

Clearing his throat he dropped his hand and adjusted his tie. "I'm Xavier Winters. Your lawyer."

"I don't have a lawyer." She replied flatly, unwilling to trust him just because he had a fancy name.

"I see that," His tone was derisive as he glanced down at her case file. "Which for a person in your situation, is not a good thing. I'm here to help you."

"Why?"

"Why? Isn't that obvious? I'm here to get you out of here."

"Who sent you? I sure as hell didn't call you, I can't afford a lawyer like you so who sent you?"

He smiled a little as he took a seat, indicating for her to do the same. She stayed right where she was, not budging an inch. She was tired, and in desperate need of a long, hot shower, and she was in no mood to deal with this if it was a trick.

He cleared his throat again and began flicking through the paperwork in front of him. "Look I'm going to level with you Miss Lane. You are in trouble here, a lot of trouble. But…"

His cocky smile had her wavering. "But what?"

"I can get you out of it. Or at least on bail if nothing else. But I'm pretty sure I can get these ridiculous charges dropped."

Her brows rose and finally she took a seat, mostly because she was too tired to stand anymore. "What makes you think they're ridiculous?"

He looked at her like she'd just told him she was an alien. "You don't know me Mr Winters, for all you know I could very well be guilty of what they're accusing me of."

His smile was knowing, and that unnerved her a little. Just who was this guy working for?

"But you aren't guilty, I think we both know that. You work at the Daily Planet, you report these stories, you don't become them."

"Still, getting me out is a pretty tall order right now. I'm not sure you realise…"

"Oh I realise exactly what this case entails Miss Lane, and believe me it's not the first one that I've encountered like this."

"Okay who the hell are you and who sent you here? I'm not saying another word until you tell me so spit it out."

He sighed, obviously deciding he wasn't going to win. "Mr Wayne sent me. He heard about your case and asked me to deal with it."

She frowned. "Mr Wayne. Who is that?"

"Bruce Wayne."

She choked a little. "Bruce Wayne? Billionaire businessman Bruce Wayne?"

"The one and only." Winters nodded.

She shook her head. "Wait a second, I've never even met this guy, I tried to get an article on him once or twice but I was always blocked. I've only ever read about him. He doesn't even live in Metropolis. So why is he now sending _me_a fancy high-priced lawyer when he doesn't even know me?"

"There are…reasons."

"Reasons?"

"Yes, reasons that I am not at liberty to divulge. Just please trust me Miss Lane, he has your best interests at heart. So what's it to be? Are you going to let me help you? Or are you content to wait in your cold, uncomfortable cell until the police decide they have enough to formally charge you?"

That made her wince because even she knew that with the evidence they had, charges would be filed soon. She had hoped to make them see by now that she was innocent but who was she kidding, this whole thing was a mess and she was smack bang in the middle of it.

Yesterday the Inquisitor had already run with a front page story on how one of the Daily Planet's top reporters had landed herself in jail. She knew that Perry was making sure that they printed a retraction but the damage was already done. She really had no other option.

"Fine, what do you want to know?"

"Well first of all let's start with the basics…" He took a pen out of his briefcase and got ready to write. "What happened on the night of Miss Chambers' murder?"

She let out a long sigh, unsure of where exactly to start. It seemed like such a long time ago now and the details of that evening were getting lost in all this drama.

"I went to visit her that night. She was…helping me with an article."

"What kind of article?" he asked, jotting down what she'd said. When she didn't answer he glanced up at her over the rims of his glasses. "Miss Lane, I can't help you if you won't be honest with me."

She narrowed her eyes, wondering just how much she could trust him. If what he'd said was true and Bruce Wayne had sent him, there was no way he'd be involved in all this. She would just have to take that chance. Right now, what other choice did she have?

"Okay here's the deal, what I'm about to tell you is super sensitive. You can't tell anyone."

"Then how will I…?"

"Figure it out, but promise me this won't leave this room."

He didn't seem too happy about it, but he nodded anyway. "Go ahead."

"I've been doing a lot of research lately into a place called Suicide Slums. It was an area of Metropolis that had been run down and basically just…not a place you would want to visit believe me. But lately Intergang along with the help of the Mayor have been fixing the place up, providing housing for homeless people, new businesses that sort of thing."

"That doesn't sound like a bad thing." Xavier commented.

"It isn't. Or it wouldn't be if that was what was truly happening. But behind the scenes, these people are being forced to pay in their own way. Most have been turned to prostitution, having to give most of what they earn in order to live where they live and I'm talking about expensive apartments here. But something else is going on there, I'm sure of it."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, that's what Melissa…" she paused at her name, feeling that wave of guilt wash over her again. If Melissa hadn't been helping her, she would still be alive. "That's what she was helping me with. An inside scoop kinda thing. She was hoping that I would be able to get enough to at least expose Edge and his crew so that someone would start poking around, find something that would stick."

"So you visited her to get information?"

"Yes."

"And what time did you leave?"

"It was after nine I think, I can't remember now."

Xavier nodded. "The coronor states her time of death at between ten and midnight so you left long before that. Where were you before you visited her?"

She shifted uncomfortably, since all this had happened she hadn't once thought about Matt. "I uh...I had a date. Nothing interesting but it ended early because I had an interview to get to. Melissa was perfectly fine when I left her. Scared and confused sure, but totally alive."

"I believe you Miss Lane, don't worry. So the DNA that the police claim to have, was simply a result of your visit to her apartment?"

"Yes, when I left she hugged me, I don't know, a strand of hair or something could've stuck to her."

He nodded as he wrote. "That seems plausible. The hair on the door, that could've been planted there. But why didn't you tell the police why you were there?"

"Because I don't know which ones I can trust. Morgan Edge has a lot of people working for him in this city, I believe that some police officers are also on his payroll."

Winters let out a whistle. "Bold allegations Miss Lane. I trust you haven't told them that."

She growled in frustration. "Of course I haven't, do you think I'm an idiot? If I did that I might as well put a sign around my neck saying 'Shoot me now'"

He tried to hide his smile but Lois saw it, which irritated her further. "Miss Lane, you do understand that having your DNA at the scene of the murder, you admitting that you visited her, and a witness placing you there, it doesn't make you look good…right?"

"Of course I know that. I didn't think I was here for the food." She replied sarcastically. "Why are you smiling?"

"Because I am confident that, as long as you're not hiding anything else from me, I can get you out of here by tonight."

"Tonight, really? Are you that good?" Sure he looked impressive but he didn't look a day over twenty-five. Could he really do what he'd claimed?

He nodded. "Mr Wayne only employs the best. And yes…" He stood up and closed his briefcase. "I am that good."

Once again he held out his hand and this time she shook it. "Uh, I guess tell Mr Wayne…thank you?"

"You can call him yourself once you're out of here. Don't worry Miss Lane, it will be over soon. I'll be back with an update later."

"Thanks."

Once he was gone, she was led back to her cell, wincing as the large metal door clicked. She prided herself on being tough, not needing anyone to help her. But right now she had to admit that she needed it. She was alone, scared and had no idea what was going to happen to her. But Bruce Wayne had sent her a little ray of hope. The only question was…why?

* * *

><p>"What the hell happened?" Bruno moved the phone away from his ear as Morgan's voice bellowed down the line.<p>

"Sir, there were…complications."

"You don't say."

"We're working on it. The formula needs adjusting that's all."

"That's all? That's all! We got cops sniffing around looking for evidence, we have a nineteen year old boy dead and now you go and make it worse by adding Melissa to it too?"

"Melissa has nothing to do with the testing sir, she was…dealt with because she talked to Lois Lane. Now I don't think she told her that much, but it was enough to keep Lane sniffing around and we don't need that right now."

Morgan fell silent for a few moments and Bruno waited with baited breath.

"So this is why Lois Lane was arrested? Nice move Bruno, I gotta say I didn't see that coming. Very smart. Should keep her out of our hair for a while anyway. But I want a full report on what happened with the testing later today. We can't afford for this to happen again, I have too much invested, I have shipments that need to be met. We can't ship it if the stuff is going to kill people. Figure. It. Out." He stated simply, leaving no room for misinterpretation. If Bruno didn't get the formula right soon, he would be the next one to wind up in an alley.

"It's the meteor rocks sir, they're unpredictable, unstable."

"But they're also the best. Reduce the amount or something but we can't substitute it. So again, figure it out."

"I will don't worry Morgan. Don't you have a meeting with the Mayor to get to now?"

Morgan chuckled, his anger seeming to dissipate somewhat. "Yes well, he's a lot easier to handle than you, that much I can say."

Before Bruno could reply to the backhanded compliment, the line went dead. He placed his phone back in his pocket and looked out of his office window. Troubled, he stared at the streets below, wondering how he was going to fix this little 'problem' of his. Oh well, at least one was dealt with, Lois Lane wouldn't be bothering them anytime soon.

* * *

><p>"I gotta admit, I was sceptical." Lois said as she stopped in the alley behind the police station later that evening. They had left the back way to avoid any lingering press that might've been there. But so far she hadn't seen any.<p>

Xavier Winters pulled his big expensive coat around him and smiled. "What did I tell you? I am that good."

He certainly was. Lois couldn't even keep up with him as he spoke for her in the interview. The jargon and fancy words he'd used confused her but she kept up enough to know what was happening at least. At the end of it, he'd managed to convince the police that they were wrong for holding his client, wrong for accusing her of murder when the evidence they had was circumstantial at best and she was one of the city's most respected reporters. She would never even think of committing the crime they'd accused her of and keeping her this long was just unacceptable.

"I don't know how you did it Xavier, but thank you. I have a feeling this isn't over though."

He nodded. "I'm afraid it isn't, you're still pretty high on their list of suspects, in fact I think you may be their only suspect. But right now, they haven't officially charged you, so that's good but they may still do so."

"So I'm not out of the woods yet." She grimaced, having known that all along but secretly hoping she was wrong.

"I'm afraid not. Which is why we should try and find the real murderer before the police decide again that it's you."

"We?" she asked, stopping at the entrance to the alley to look back at him.

"Yes, we. As in my company. I don't want you near this investigation Lois. Mr Wayne has plenty of resources that can help you, I promise."

"Okay that's enough. I don't know what this guy's deal is, but I don't know him and I don't want anything from him. I'm not a charity case."

"This is not something he does often Miss Lane. But Bruce Wayne likes to help in his own way and he is doing it for a very good reason. One that I suspect you won't understand right now."

Getting angry now, Lois placed her hands on her hips and stared him down. "Try me, I'm a lot smarter than I look.

"He's doing a favour, if I were you I would let it go."

"I can't. I don't like owing people. I want to know exactly why a billionaire bachelor is suddenly concerned about the life of a Metropolis reporter."

Xavier sighed and reached into his pocket. He handed her a card. "Then you'll have to go directly to the source. I cannot tell you what I am bound to keep secret. If you want to know so badly, you will have to ask him yourself."

"Fine…I will." She replied, glancing down at the fancy embossed name on the card. One of these cards probably cost what she earned in a day. It was…surreal.

"Here's the number of the hotel I will be staying at."

"Wait, you're staying here? Why?" she asked, and even she could hear the note of panic in her voice.

"Because this isn't over and until we find out who is behind all of this, you are not above being arrested again. I don't mean to scare you but it's imperative that you have all the facts. So yes, I will be staying in Metropolis, and you can reach me here." He handed over the card and then shook her hand again. "Can I offer you a ride home?"

Feeling slightly overwhelmed at the rapid turn of events, Lois nodded numbly. The allure of a hot bath and a warm bed was too appealing to wait for.

"Thank you."

Xavier nodded and smiled. "Don't thank me Miss Lane, just doing my job."

"You do it very well."

He shrugged. "I know my client Miss Lane, he is not a man who accepts mistakes and he expects results…fast. So rest assured that we will figure this out."

Somehow Lois was comforted in hearing that. She just wished she knew why he was helping her.

* * *

><p>Bruce Wayne hung up his phone and turned around. "She's out."<p>

The figure standing in front of his window turned and looked at him. "Good."

"That's it? Wow she really did a number on you huh? I'd really like to meet this girl."

He scoffed. "I wouldn't bother, unless you like getting your heart broken."

"Now Clark, you know I don't go getting my heart involved in situations that don't require it." Bruce let out a chuckle but Clark stayed silent. He'd never heard of this woman before today but it was obvious that whatever was in their past, she'd had a profound effect on Clark.

"What exactly happened between you two?"

Clark's face darkened. "How long have we known each other Bruce?"

"I don't know…about two years?"

"Right. Since then I've helped you - and Batman - on a number of things."

"And I've helped you too don't forget."

"I remember. The point is…I've been through a lot in the past five years, I completed my training with my father, I travelled the world, finished my education, and I met a lot of interesting people along the way. People like us."

Suddenly serious, Bruce stepped forward. "Clark, you know you can trust me. With anything."

"I know. But Lois is not up for discussion. I will never answer that question so just…don't ask me okay?"

"Okay, I got it. But…I don't understand something. If whatever happened was so bad, why did you come to me for help?"

Clark shrugged. "Whatever else she may be, Lois Lane is not a murderer and I wasn't going to just sit by and watch her be punished for a crime she didn't commit."

Bruce nodded, and then ran a hand through his hair. "Well Xavier says he got her out without charges but he's not sure she's safe just yet. He wants a team to go there and investigate. He thinks there's more going on and Lois may be in danger."

Something flickered briefly in Clark's eyes but it was gone before Bruce had a chance to analyse it. "She'll be okay. One thing I learned a long time ago is that Lois Lane knows how to take care of herself."

The tone of Clark's voice told Bruce that also wasn't up for discussion so he let it drop. He was certainly curious though. Clark Kent was a powerful man, he could literally do anything and yet here he was, acting in a way Bruce had never seen before, over a woman.

Though he didn't see him all the time, since Clark liked to drop in whenever he was in the city, Bruce had never seen Clark with a woman. He'd never heard him talk about dates or anything so who exactly was this Lois Lane?

"Bruce…" Clark's voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he looked up to see the taller man watching him carefully.

"Whatever you're thinking, don't. Believe me…" He turned back to the window, glancing out at the beautiful gardens of Wayne Manor. But Bruce could see the tension in his shoulders. "It's not worth it."

**_To Be Continued..._**


	8. Chapter 7

****_Chapter Seven_****

**_The Past_**

Clark entered the barn early that morning, whistling a tune to himself as he started moving some hay bales around to make room for a new horse his dad had recently acquired. He loved this time of morning, the sun was beaming down, the wind gently blowing, and the sounds of the farm he had missed so much over the past few months now reminded him that he was definitely home.

The last two weeks here had been so wonderful, it was like he'd never left. His parents were almost back to normal with him, and he walked around with a constant smile on his face. He knew why, it was because of a certain blonde woman who had stolen his heart. She made him happy and in turn, made his parents happy because of that.

As he moved the last bale, a quiet sound caught his attention. Making his way up to the loft, he stopped at the top step.

"Lois?" He asked, concern in his voice as he took in her sitting at his desk, obviously crying. She quickly wiped her eyes before she turned to face him, a smile that was clearly fake plastered on her face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm fine."

He walked over to her and crouched down next to the chair. "Don't do that. Something is bothering you, what is it?"

She opened her mouth, then shook her head and closed it again. He rarely saw her cry, even now she was doing her best to hide it from him. "Lois, I'm your husband, you can tell me anything, you know that."

Glancing down he saw what she was holding in her hands. It was a photo of him, Chloe and Lana during their first year at Smallville High. "You were best friends Clark…" she whispered.

"We still are Lois, we'll get through this."

She shook her head. "No, I ruined it. Things would've been better if you'd just come back here alone."

"Don't say that. You're the reason I came back here Lois and I'm grateful that you made me do it. I was hurting everyone, by staying away I hurt those that I love the most. But I can't regret it, because it led me to you. You didn't ruin anything, you helped me. Chloe will come around, I promise." He hoped, anyway.

When the three of them had met for coffee, Clark and Lois had dropped the bombshell and to say Chloe had been shocked was an understatement. She'd been so angry, first at Clark for running away, leaving her, making her wonder if he was hurt or not, then at Lois for not telling her that she'd met and married her best friend.

That had been a week ago and there'd been no contact since. It really wasn't fair to blame Lois, none of this was her fault, but he understood that Chloe was hurting right now. The only problem was that now Lois was hurting too and he'd never wanted that. He never wanted any of this.

Lois raised her sad eyes to his. "And what if she doesn't?"

Cupping her face, he gently pulled her in for a kiss. "She will. Once she's had a chance to calm down and think about things, she'll be fine. We just need to give her some cooling off space okay?"

"I guess." She glanced back down at the picture. "And what about Lana?"

Clark shrugged. "She was shocked, hurt a little I think but in the end I think she understood. She told me she was moving to Paris this summer to go to school there. I think it will be good for her. To get away from this town, the memories of…everything."

"She's pretty." Lois commented before placing the frame back on his desk.

Clark nodded slowly. "She is. Lois, Lana is my past, you know that right? I thought I was in love with her but…"

"But?"

He looked her straight in the eyes. "Since I met you, I realised that what I felt for her wasn't really love. Or maybe it was but it wasn't the forever kind. What you and I have…this is the forever kind."

Her eyes searched his, though what she was looking for exactly, Clark had no idea. Eventually she nodded and sighed, then leaned her forehead against his. "I love you Smallville."

He smiled at what was now becoming a familiar nickname and kissed her temple. "I love you too Lois. So much."

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him tight and he felt her smile against his lips as he kissed her. "Feeling better?"

"Yes, I don't know what came over me. I'm not usually like that." She said with a slight grimace.

"Well far be it from me to suggest anything but you know that it's perfectly fine to be upset around me. I'll always be here for you Lois, always."

"Lanes don't cry Smallville, it's a well-known fact." She said with a chuckle, making him feel slightly better that she was okay.

"Ah but you're no longer a Lane, Mrs Kent."

She let out a short burst of laughter, the sound was like music to his ears. He always loved to hear her laugh. "Be that as it may, the Lane instinct is still there and I can't just turn it off. It's just how I was raised."

Her squeal as he lifted her out of the chair and into his arms, made him chuckle. "I wouldn't have you any other way."

"Good, because I don't think there is any other way." She winked and pulled his head down for another kiss, this one much different in intensity. Clark felt the raw need and desire as his tongue battled with hers, getting lost in the moment. Only Lois could do that to him, he realised. Only she could make him forget his own name with just a simple kiss.

"I guess I better get back and take a shower, I agreed to help your mom out at the Talon today. I'm thinking showing up in my PJ's might give the wrong first impression."

"Want some company?" he asked, letting her slide slowly down his body to the ground. It was an…exquisite torture.

She laughed and patted his chest. "Somehow I don't think your dad would approve, do you?"

Just the thought of his reaction was enough to put the brakes on whatever thoughts Clark was entertaining.

"That's what I thought." Lois reached up to kiss his cheek then started for the steps. He watched her as she walked down, amazed by the way she moved. Being unable to spend the night with her was painful, he missed holding her as she fell asleep in his arms. But there was no way his parents would budge and he didn't want to upset them further.

Shaking his head to get rid of those kind of thoughts he glanced back over at his desk, his frown reappearing as he looked at the photo. He missed Chloe, missed talking to her. He was to blame for what had happened between them, but he needed to talk to her, to make her see that she was being unfair to Lois. He just hoped she'd be willing to listen.

* * *

><p>He found her later that morning at school. Watching from the doorway of the Torch's office for a second, he wondered how best to approach her. But then she turned her head and saw him and for a split second he thought he saw warmth in her eyes. But it was quickly masked as she turned back to her paperwork.<p>

"What do you want?" she asked, straight to the point.

"Chloe…we need to talk about this."

"What's left to say Clark?"

"Chloe, it's been over a week…"

"For months I wondered if you were dead, or hurt, and all that time you were shacking up with my very own cousin." She said with hint of disgust in her tone.

Clark walked further in and perched on the corner of one of the desks. "Don't say it like that Chloe. I love Lois, I wish you understood. She's a part of me now, and we're married whether you approve or not."

Her eyes flashed angrily. "Whether _I_like it or not? Clark this has to be the most stupid thing you have done…ever!"

"Look I understand that I've hurt you Chloe, I get it okay? But you should be blaming me, not taking it out on Lois."

"How did you two even meet?" she asked, sidestepping what he'd said. She shook her head in exasperation. "I mean how is it even possible that you and my cousin would meet, let alone get married?"

"I already told you all that Chloe. We met at a club, we talked, had a few drinks. I offered her a place to stay because she had nowhere to go at that point. And…I don't know how it happened but in the weeks that followed, we fell in love."

"You're eighteen Clark. Falling in love is one thing, getting married is entirely different."

Her attitude was really starting to rankle now. Clark understood that she was hurt but she had to know how unfair she was being right now. "Is it that fact that I'm married to Lois that bothers you most? Or the fact that I'm no longer single?"

He heard her gasp and wished he could take the question back, but he couldn't. It was out there now and as silence filled the room, he wanted to be anywhere else but here.

"You knew how I felt about you." She said in a low voice, keeping her eyes on her paperwork. It wasn't a question.

"Yes."

She nodded. "I see. I guess I was never the right girl for you huh?"

"Chloe…"

She raised a hand to stop him. "Don't. It's okay. For years I watched you pine for Lana, wondering if you knew how goofy you looked whenever you stared at her. After a while I had to accept that you and I were never going to happen. Well you don't have to worry about that anymore Clark."

He frowned. "What does that mean?"

"It means that you're not the only one who's been busy this summer."

He raised an inquisitive brow at her, to which she rolled her eyes. "I met someone too. An intern from the Daily Planet actually. Now while I didn't run off and get married…I do think he could be something special."

Ignoring her jibe, Clark smiled. "That's great Chloe, I'm happy for you."

Pursing her lips, she smoothed her short blonde hair away from her face, regarding him carefully. "How could you not call Clark? How could Lois not tell me something as important as getting married?"

"We didn't mean to hurt anyone, it was never about that. We made a decision right then to do it, so we did it. And I don't regret it, I love her Chloe."

"I can see that. I don't understand it but I can see it. Truthfully I've never seen her this happy before."

"You have to talk to her Chloe, she's upset about this. She never wanted to hurt you."

"I know but I don't know how. This is…well it's a situation that I never in my craziest dreams ever saw happening. Clark Kent and Lois Lane…married. It's crazy. The Lois I knew wouldn't do something this rash and impulsive." She threw him a pointed look. "And neither would you."

"She's still the same Lois. She's your cousin, that hasn't changed."

"How would you know Clark? You've known her for a few months, you have no idea what she was like before that. How she was when we were growing up."

He conceded that point, because it was true after all. But the way Chloe said it irritated him. He knew Lois, he knew what was in her heart, that was all that mattered to him. "Then tell me what she was like."

Chloe slowly blew out a breath, seeming calmer now but Clark wasn't sure that meant anything good or not. "I don't want to go there Clark, not now."

"I'm sorry."

Chloe blinked. "Why?"

"Because I left and never called. Because I decided that my problems were too big to face so I just ran away from them."

"I just needed to know that you were safe, that's all."

Clark stood and walked closer, stopping just in front of her. "I know and for that I'm sorry. Chloe you're my best friend, I don't want to lose that. You're an important part of my life."

For the first time since he'd arrived, a ghost of a smile played at her lips. But it didn't stay there long. "But you could talk to Lois, a person you'd never met before, more than your best friend?"

Clark sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Chloe you have to understand that when I left, I wanted to forget everything about Smallville, about everyone that I'd hurt. Lois was like…she was a breath of fresh air. I'm not saying this to hurt you but I need you to know the truth. She…saved me. I was in a dark place for a long time and she forced me to see things differently. And I don't know, maybe it was because she didn't know me, and I didn't know her. Maybe that was why we clicked, why we fit together so well now. She knows all there is to know about me and I her."

Chloe nodded slowly digesting what he'd said. "You really love her."

"Yes, I do. Crazy as it seems to you and my parents and just about everyone else in this town, I do."

"Then I'm happy for you Clark."

"Really? Because you don't look happy."

"I just…I don't want you to find out in a few months that you rushed things and she isn't the person you think she is."

"That won't happen Chloe." He said with determination.

"But it might. You're teenagers Clark, arguments are bound to happen."

Clark chuckled. "Chloe, we argue all the time now. It's not all romantic mushy stuff you know. But it's just banter most of the time and I like it. She makes me feel…alive. The banter is actually a lot of fun."

Chloe smiled, a real warm smile that had Clark sighing in relief. To himself of course, he didn't want to push things. And he was making progress.

"I didn't mean to come off as such a horrible person. Sorry Clark."

Clark placed his hands on her shoulders, dragging her to him for a hug. "You didn't Chloe, but I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. Lois is really upset that you won't talk to her."

She pulled back to look up at him. "I'm not angry at her. I guess all the shock of you being back and being married, it was a little too much to take in. But don't worry, I'll talk to her."

"Good." He released her and stepped back, looking around the office.

"So does this mean that you're coming back to Smallville High? You gotta at least finish your senior year Clark."

Clark nodded, having had this discussion with his parents several times since his return. He'd already spoken to the teachers and was due to start back next week. "Yes, and Lois is enrolling too. We both want to graduate here and maybe then go to Met U together."

"Oh…" Chloe's face fell a little at that.

"All three of us at Met U. You gotta admit it would be fun…" he said in a teasing voice and then she started smiling again.

"I guess it would.

"So…" he hesitated for a second, then smiled. "We're okay now?"

She hugged him back, tighter this time, reminding him of all the friendly hugs they'd shared over the years. "Yeah…we're good."

* * *

><p>"Hey Lois, what are you doing home so early?" Jonathan asked, glancing up from his place at the kitchen table as she walked in the back door.<p>

"Oh it was really quiet at the Talon so Mrs Kent said I could finish early." She replied, still feeling a little nervous around Clark's father. His mom she could deal with, she was kind, sweet and polite and even if she still thought that they'd made a big mistake, she kept it to herself. Mr Kent however, was different.

Even though he seemed to have accepted it, she still sometimes caught him looking at them as if he couldn't quite make out what he was seeing. And even though she was probably imagining it, sometimes she could swear he looked at her with disappointment in his eyes. And for some reason, that was harder to take.

"Lois…could you sit for a minute?" Uh-oh, what did he want? A million things raced through her head as she took a seat next to him at the table.

"Are you happy here Lois?" he asked, surprising her for a moment.

"Of course I am. Very happy."

"That's good. Because you know…Clark deserves to be happy. I'm glad that he is."

There seemed to be more to that sentence, and as he opened his mouth but frowned too, Lois knew she was right.

"But you're both so young…I know you're heard it all, we've said it enough times. But I want you to really think about this Lois. What's going to happen when you have to get jobs, move in to a place of your own? Have you thought about the future at all?"

"Clark is my future Mr Kent, he's all I think about."

"And if people could survive on love alone, the world would be a much happier place. But Lois, a marriage takes a lot of work. More than you two teenagers might realise."

Lois rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. Why was she alone here? Where was Clark? She needed the back up. "Listen Mr Kent…we may be teenagers but we're not naïve and we're not stupid. I love your son and he loves me. Anything else we will work out together but the most important thing to me is his happiness. I know you don't approve of our marriage but I can assure you that I have every intention of making it work. I'm in it for the long haul."

Strangely, he seemed almost impressed with that response. But before he could answer there was a loud bang on the back door. Frowning, Jonathan got up to answer it, but was almost knocked over by a man barging his way in.

"Where is she? Where is my daughter?"

Lois jumped out of her seat and walked into the kitchen, facing the man she hadn't seen in months. And boy did he look angry.

"How did you find me?"

General Lane's eyes flicked to Jonathan for a second before returning to his daughter. "Not important."

"Right, of course not." She mumbled, nothing ever was when it came to him. "Uh Mr Kent, I'd like you to meet…my father, General Sam Lane."

* * *

><p>"So how did you find me Daddy?" she asked once again as soon as they were left alone. Jonathan had gone out to the barn, claiming to have more chores to do. So they were sitting in the living room on the sofa and the General had not stopped looking at his surroundings once.<p>

"I tracked you down. Did you honestly think I wouldn't?" Boy he was really angry, she thought. His tone was too calm. It was eerie.

"To be honest I didn't know if you'd have time what with your busy schedule and the three hundred soldiers to babysit."

"Don't take that tone with me young lady! I am deeply ashamed of you right now. This stunt you've pulled, it's beyond irresponsible."

"Are we still talking about me running away?"

"Of course, unless there's something else you'd like to tell me." He challenged.

She shook her head. "What else would there be? I ran away, you found me. That's it."

"Temper tantrums aside, what brought you here? To this farm."

"Temper…? Daddy sometimes you really make my blood boil. It was not a temper tantrum, I left because I couldn't stand you dictating to me on how to live my life anymore."

"You're eighteen years old Lois and as long as you are my daughter you will always be my responsibility." He yelled.

"That's all I am to you? A responsibility? This is why I left. I needed space from you, to be on my own. I want to learn new things, not grow up and go into the military. I want to be a reporter dad and one day I will be." She was literally shaking with the determination it took to defend herself against this man. What was it about him that was so scary sometimes?

"Oh I'm sorry, I was under the impression your views on your future had changed now that you're married."

Lois' mouth fell open in shock. How on earth…? "How did you know about that?"

"Lois, there is nothing you can hide from me. Now tell me, where is this 'husband' of yours?"

"He's not here." She replied quickly. And she hoped he stayed away for a while yet too. She didn't want him to meet her father, especially with him in this mood.

"Well, we all do stupid things in our youth, naturally there will be an annulment. And you are to return to Virginia with me. I have some pressing business at the Pentagon."

"That's it? You just barge back into my life demanding that I follow you?" She stood up and glared down at him. "Sorry to break it to you but it doesn't work that way anymore daddy. I love Clark and he loves me, and I am staying married to him. End of story."

General Lane stood up, slowly. He faced his daughter and even though every nerve in her body wanted to shy away from the shame in his eyes, she met his stare head on, refusing to back down.

"Lois, this is not up for discussion. I will not see you throw your life away by marrying some small town farm boy. You're much better than that."

"How dare you?"

"Enough! You will come with me Lois." Then, in a rare and completely shocking moment, his face softened and he looked…scared? No that couldn't be right.

"I will need you to be there Lois."

"There…?"

"I'm sick. You don't need to know the details. But I won't see you throw away your life while I have the chance to do something about it."

"You're telling me I have to choose between my husband and my father?" Lois asked, her breath hitching in her throat painfully.

General Lane nodded. "Yes Lo. And I need you to come with me."

* * *

><p>Later that afternoon, Clark once again climbed the stairs to the loft, knowing this time that he would find Lois up there because his hearing had picked up her heartbeat. It was fast, a little faster than normal and he wondered what was causing it. He hoped hearing that Chloe was feeling better about them would cheer her up. He hated seeing her so sad.<p>

"Hey…" he murmured as he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned back into his embrace as he placed a kiss on her hair. "You okay?"

She nodded but didn't say anything, she just held onto his arms around her waist tightly.

"I talked to Chloe. She seems to be okay now. I think she wants to talk to you, she just feels bad for letting it get to this stage."

"Okay." Lois replied, quietly. Now that wasn't like her.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, turning her so that she was facing him but still within the circle of his arms.

The look in her eyes scared him a little. She was upset but it was more than just about Chloe. Something had obviously happened while he'd been gone. "Lois, talk to me please."

She licked her lips and raised her eyes to his but no words would come. She didn't even know how to begin.

"You're really scaring me here Lo. What's happened? Why are you…?" He stopped mid-sentence as he spotted something on the floor next to her.

"What is that?" he asked, swallowing hard as he looked at the suitcase sitting there announcing the words that Lois wouldn't say.

Lois drew in a deep breath and moved out of his arms. "Clark…I don't know how to say this…"

His heart dropped. She was crying. "Lois…"

"I uh…I have to leave Clark."

"No. No you can't. Why?"

She clamped her hands together, her face pale and sad. "It's complicated but…"

"Did my father say something to you? Lois whatever it is, we can get through it together. You don't need to leave."

"Who are we kidding Clark? We got married too fast. We barely know each other…"

"I know you Lois!" He stepped forward suddenly, grasping her by the upper arms. "Why are you saying this? I don't understand, this morning you were happy. What changed? Tell me!"

"My father!" she yelled. "He found me. And he made me realise that us being together…it won't work Clark. It won't last."

Clark shook his head, running a hand through his hair. He felt like someone had just sucker punched him and he had no idea how to recover. "No. He's wrong Lois, we can do this. We love each other, we can make this work. You can't leave me."

A tiny sob wracked through her before she could hide it from him and she knew he'd seen it. If only he knew this was as painful for her as it was for him right now. "We're just too young Clark. I need more time."

Her eyes slid away from his and he realised what she was trying to say. "You don't want me anymore. You made a mistake and now you realise it." It was like a knife piercing his chest.

"That's not what this is Clark. Please don't make it any harder." She whispered. "My father…"

"Hates me. He doesn't even know me and yet he hates me because I married his little girl." He stepped forward and took her hands in his. "He hates me because he thinks you can do better than me. Giving in to him won't help. If you stand up to him now, in a month or so he'll see for himself how happy we are. That's the only way to bring him round, we have to do this _together_."

Lois gently removed her hands from his grasp and for a split second he didn't like what he was looking at. He'd always thought she was so strong. Letting her father come between them was a big mistake. But it wasn't just her father was it? He realised. It was everyone else too, his parents…Chloe. They all had a part to play in this.

"We're married Lois." He insisted. "I'm your husband, that means I'm family too."

She sobbed, a great wrenching sob that shook her entire body, one that she couldn't hide even if she'd tried. "I'm sorry Clark."

"You're sorry? You stand there and tell me that you're leaving me, that we can't be together after all we've been through and you're sorry?" Anger was starting to replace the pain in an act of self-preservation.

"This will blow over Clark. Just give it a couple of weeks…"

"I won't end this marriage." He declared.

"It's my decision Clark. I'm sorry."

"Stop saying that."

"But it's true…" she wiped her eyes and reached up to kiss his cheek. He flinched but didn't make a move. "I am sorry Clark. I love you."

The light in her eyes had gone out. As he looked at her, his heart breaking, he could see the awful truth. She had made her decision, chosen her father over him.

"But that's not enough," he said. "Is it?"

She didn't reply. She just grabbed her suitcase and headed for the stairs. Clark shut his eyes, partly because he didn't want her to see the tears. When he heard an engine start up outside, it was only then he realised that he'd missed the jeep on his way in. Her father had been waiting there the whole time.

Walking over to the window, he watched as his wife drove away from him. Out of his life. Forever.

**_To Be Continued..._**


	9. Chapter 8

**_Chapter Eight_**

_**The Present**_

"Excuse me? Can you say that again because I'm sure I didn't hear you correctly?"

Bruno sat in Morgan's office, biting on his fingernail nervously. "It's not my fault boss. How was I to know some hot shot from Gotham was going to show up and get her out?"

Morgan's face was…blank. Bruno couldn't read any expression on it. This made it worse because anger, he could deal with, but this…it was beyond anger.

Morgan let out a sigh and stood up behind his desk. Slowly, calmly like a wild animal stalking its prey, he walked around to where Bruno was sitting. And then it came out of nowhere, and Bruno felt his cheek explode as blood pooled inside his mouth. Morgan simply smirked and wiped his hand on Bruno's jacket.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, Morgan said. "Now, let's try this again. You told me I had no need to worry about Lois Lane. That she was taken care of. Now you're telling me that not only is she out, the police are not pursuing any charges on her. Even with the evidence you planted."

Bruno wiped his mouth on his handkerchief. "Apparently it's all circumstantial, they can't hold her without more."

Morgan nodded. "I see. So now she's free and even more determined to bring our little operation down. This is not looking good for you Bruno. I thought I could rely on you."

"You can boss, I swear. Just give me more chance, I'll get rid of her. Make it look like an accident."

"This is very bad timing Bruno, you know this. We can't afford any more attention thrown at us. I may have talked the Mayor around but it isn't going to last if we can't pay up in time."

Bruno frowned. "I thought the shipment went ahead last night."

"It did, but they're refusing payment until they've tested the product. Which is why not all of it was sent. It's a very lengthy process."

"Well my guys assured me that it was now safe, there shouldn't be any problems. I give you my word."

Morgan smiled icily at him as he returned to his seat. "That doesn't mean anything to me until you live up to it Bruno. You've let me down once already…"

"Make sure it doesn't happen again. I don't want any unnecessary risks taken, get someone else to do it. Someone with no ties to us."

"I will, I promise I'll take care of it." Bruno stood to leave.

"And Bruno?"

Morgan's face was back to being blank as he stopped him in the doorway. "Yes boss?"

"You screw this up again and it will be you needing the coffin, got it?"

Bruno swallowed hard. "Got it."

* * *

><p>"Martha, do we have any of those cookies left?" Jonathan shouted from the kitchen.<p>

Martha chuckled, finishing up her cleaning of the living room and walked in to point at the tray, sitting on the counter less than a foot away from him. He smiled sheepishly and grabbed one, kissing her on his way to the door. Just as he opened it, a tall figure almost fell inside and Martha gasped.

"Clark!" She practically ran over to him, throwing her arms around him, well as much as she could anyway, he'd grown so much. He'd always been tall, but now as she stepped back to look at him, he seemed so…he towered over her and even his father.

"Hi Mom, Dad." He said, his voice quiet, unsure as if testing out their reactions.

Jonathan stepped forward, his face unreadable and she could see Clark brace himself for whatever was about to come. But Jonathan's face lit up as he grabbed his son and embraced him, ruffling his hair as he released him. "Good to see you son."

"Thanks, it's great to see you two. I've missed you so much." He replied, hugging his mother one more time.

"Clark…it's been well over a year since we last saw you. Where have you been?" Martha asked, her eyes checking him over to make sure he was really okay.

Clark smiled. "Travelling mostly. Finishing my education here and there. Since finishing my training with Jor-El, he wanted me to go out into the world, to visit…anywhere and everywhere. So I did. And Mom, I learned so much, it was amazing out there. So many different cultures and things to look at."

Martha smiled at the gleam in his eyes as he talked. Whatever he'd been doing, he'd clearly enjoyed it. And even though she'd missed him like crazy all these years, she'd known that this was what he'd had to do.

He'd visited twice in the five years he'd been gone. Once when he'd been training and Jor-El had let him take a break for a month, he'd returned home. And the other time had been just after he'd completed his training. It had filled her with a deep regret that he'd felt the need to go off to his training, but she knew that he wouldn't have gone if he hadn't wanted to. Certain circumstances may have pushed him towards that, but she knew he still would've gone at some point.

And it was probably for the best that he had. He knew more about himself now, who he was, what he could do, how he could help people. Because deep down, underneath it all, she knew that was who he was at his core. He wanted to help because he could. And he seemed happier than she'd seen in a long time. More sure of himself too. But there was still something in his eyes that concerned her, a shadow that told her not everything was okay with her son.

"Mom?" she blinked and realised that both her son and husband were staring at her.

"Hmm?"

"Are you okay?" Clark asked.

"Of course I am sweetheart, I'm just so happy to see you again." Then she felt the tears threatening. "But um, are you staying or this another visit?"

"No Mom, this time I'm actually staying. I'm done travelling, I just want to come home."

"That's fantastic!"

"Well there is a catch…" he said with a slight grimace.

"Oh?"

"I'm moving to an apartment in Metropolis. Is…that okay?"

"Oh sweetheart of course it's okay. You're a man now, you need your own space, your own life. We didn't expect you to stay on the farm forever. And I'll take Metropolis over…Mongolia or wherever you were."

Clark laughed and the sound filled her with a sweet feeling of relief. Her baby was back.

"But…Metropolis?" Jonathan asked and both sets of eyes turned on him. "Are you sure about that Clark?"

Clark looked confused. "Why wouldn't I be? I need to get a job if I plan to live and the city is the best place to be to help people who need it."

"But…_she_lives there doesn't she? Some big shot reporter now."

All at once the jovial look on Clark's face disappeared and Martha cursed her husband for bringing that particular subject up.

"Yes, Lois lives there. It's okay Dad, you can say her name. Look, all that was a long time ago. I'm over it."

"Are you?" Martha asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Yes. She's not a part of my life anymore, she chose that so…that's all there is to it. Besides, the city's big enough, I may not even see her."

Martha knew the words he was saying were making sense, but there was something else…something he wasn't saying. "You've seen her haven't you?"

He shook his head as he sat down at the table. "No. I haven't seen her since she walked out on me five years ago Mom. But I did help her recently."

"Helped her? How?" Jonathan demanded, sitting down next to him, obviously he still held some resentment towards Lois. Truthfully Martha wasn't all that pleased with her either but Lois must've had her reasons for walking away. She had been in love with her son, any fool could see that. So something big must've happened to make her change her mind.

At first she'd believed it had been the right thing for both of them. But watching her son suffer in the weeks after, watching his heart breaking day after day, unable to help him, she wondered if it really had been.

Clark just shrugged. "She got arrested. I asked a friend to help her out."

"That's very vague. What did she get arrested for?" Martha asked, sitting now too.

Clark shook his head. "I don't really want to talk about Lois anymore. She's in the past, I just want to focus on my future now."

Martha and Jonathan shared a glance but nodded. "Okay sweetheart. So…would you like some breakfast?"

* * *

><p>Lois sighed for the hundredth time and banged her head lightly against her dining table. Not being allowed to work was seriously boring. Perry had been sympathetic, and she understood the position he was in, she actually felt a little sorry for him too. He wanted to let her return to work but until she was no longer a 'person of interest' in a murder case, he couldn't officially let that happen. So for now, she was on vacation… in a way.<p>

But she was at such a loss as to what to do that she was seriously contemplating tracking down her billionaire wannabe saviour. Okay, scratch the wannabe. Technically he had gotten her out of a sticky situation. She would most likely be sitting in a jail cell even now if he hadn't sent Xavier to help her.

She'd had zero luck getting anything out of her contacts at the precinct since none of them wanted anything to do with her now. She had no leads to follow because Melissa was dead and she knew no one else within Morgan's secret circle. So she was back to square one with no clue how to expose Intergang and their shady deals.

A knock at the door had her rushing to open it, eager for any company, at this point even the janitor would do. Remembering Mr Grey as she opened the door, she shuddered. Okay, maybe not the janitor. It was a shame he cared more about the apartment building's hygiene than his own but he was a sweet guy.

Her smile faded as she saw who was on the other side. "Matt. What are you doing here?"

"It's Friday." He replied, frowning. "Eight o'clock."

She frowned back at him and he chuckled. "Our date? Don't tell me you forgot."

"Date? Oh! That date. Well I figured what with everything that's been happening over the past week you'd changed your mind. I wouldn't blame you."

"Lois…may I come in?" She nodded and caught a whiff of his cologne as he passed her. Boy he smelled good. Shaking her head at herself, she closed the door behind him, she couldn't allow herself to get distracted by this guy. She had criminals to take down. And it was of the highest importance since they were out to ruin her life.

"Lois, I don't listen to idle gossip and from what I understand you were never officially charged. The cops are crazy to even think you could be capable of cold blooded murder."

"You don't think I did it? Even just a teeny bit?"

He smiled and moved a little closer to her, his eyes boring into hers. "Would I be here if I did? No Lois, I believe that you're innocent. And after the week you must've had, which I can only imagine, I believe that a nice dinner with some, if I say so myself, handsome company, is just what you need."

Lois blinked, not expecting that at all. He still wanted to see her. It was crazy but she couldn't help but feel a little…warm inside. Then she winced as she remembered she was standing here talking to him, wearing sweats and an old flannel shirt. "I'm not really dressed for dinner."

He looked her up and down, making her feel worse. Then he grinned. "I think you're perfect. But I'll let you get changed, we still have time to make our reservations."

"Um…" Did she really want to go with him? Start something with him while all this was going on? She wasn't sure. But looking at him, watching her with an expectant but vulnerable kind of smile, she couldn't say no. Besides, she deserved a little time out from all the stress. "Okay, take a seat, I'll be right back."

"Can't wait." He grinned as she disappeared into her bedroom, her heart thudding in her ears, hoping she was doing the right thing.

* * *

><p>Clark tucked into his dinner with gusto, aware that both his parents were watching him. His mother was still so happy that he was officially back and staying but his father looked a little…apprehensive.<p>

"Everything okay sweetie?" Martha asked, still fussing over him.

It made him laugh. "Perfect Mom, thank you. I haven't had a good home cooked meal in a long time."

"Well eat up, there's plenty more and cherry pie for dessert."

He smiled and opened his mouth to reply but the shrill sound of his cell phone going off interrupted him. Smiling apologetically at his parents, he took his phone out and looked at the caller ID. Frowning, he opened it. "Bruce, is something wrong?"

"You could say that Clark. I have some information for you. About Miss Lane."

Clark felt his meal turn into a solid lump in his stomach. Every time he heard her name it still had the power to anger him. He swallowed it back down and spoke. "What about her?"

"I believe she's in danger Clark. Xavier has been doing some research into her recent stories. Seems she's been hell-bent on taking a group called Intergang down for a while now. Heard of them?"

"A little, here and there."

"Well from what I gather they're a big organisation, she shouldn't have been going up against them alone."

"They framed her?"

"It's possible. She probably got a little too close to whatever they don't want leaking out. But I'm afraid that now that the charges haven't been filed, she's a target."

"Target in what way?" he asked, even though he knew deep down. It left him with an uncomfortable feeling. Because no matter what they'd been through, what she'd put them through in their past, he could never let anything bad happen to her.

"Think about it Clark, they want her out of the way. Framing her didn't work, even with evidence, what do you think they're going to do now that she's out and probably set on revenge. She's going to go at them even harder now and probably end up getting herself killed in the process."

"That won't happen." Clark said with determination. No, he would not allow Lois Lane to die. She needed to live with what she'd done to them so long ago. But truthfully, he just needed her to live.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I won't allow it."

"So you're gonna go see her?" Bruce asked and for the first time Clark heard the curiosity in his voice.

"Bruce, this is not a game." He warned. "I don't want to see her. But I will help her if I need to."

"Well, how about I just tell you where she'll be this evening and you can make up your own mind, maybe just scope the situation out so you know what you're up against."

Clark was no fool, he knew exactly what Bruce was doing and it wasn't going to work. "Look Bruce, I'm not in the mood for this. I don't want to see her, I have no reason to see her, end of story."

"Okay, sorry. I'll back off. But just in case…"

* * *

><p>"Drink Lois, it'll do you good." Matt said, handing her a glass of champagne.<p>

"Champagne? Isn't that a little…extravagant?"

He shrugged, his massive shoulders evident under that think silk shirt. "Sure, but what the heck? You need a good drink after all the crap you've been through."

"You seem very understanding about it all…" she said, still unsure about him. "Most men would've run a mile."

"I'm not most men Lois." He replied with a wink, taking a sip out of his own glass. To her own mortification, she felt her cheeks heat slightly at his perusal of her. What was it about this guy that could do that to her?

"I see that." Taking a sip she smiled at him…then froze solid. No, she was seeing things. It wasn't possible. Not now. Not here.

"Lois? Something wrong?" Matt asked, his voice serious. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe. Her heart was threatening to leap right out of her chest and still she couldn't tear her eyes away.

Eventually Matt realised that her attention was no longer focused on him and he turned to see what had her so entranced. "Who's that?" he asked.

The dark figure stepped forward, into the light and Lois almost fell off her chair. Her glass fell out of her hand to the table, spilling its contents everywhere.

"Hello Lois." That voice, the same voice that had haunted her dreams for years, the one she never thought she'd hear again…was now speaking to her.

As he watched her trying to gain some sort of control, Clark silently cursed himself for even coming here in the first place. When Bruce had told him where she would be, he knew it would've been on a date but he hadn't really expected the feeling that would accompany it. He wasn't jealous, it was just that she was in danger and right now this was not a good idea. He thought she was smarter than that.

"Excuse me buddy but we're trying to have an evening here." For the first time since walking in, Clark tore his eyes away from Lois and looked at her date. And almost immediately he didn't like what he saw. This was not Lois' type. Then he scoffed, what did he know? He certainly hadn't been her type either as it turned out.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but I was wondering if I could have a word with Lois."

"No. I just told you, we're on a date so get lost." The guy stood and turned towards him.

Clark felt a smile creep up on his face, unsure why. But something about this guy rankled him. He glanced back to Lois, who was still sitting with her mouth open, her eyes wide in shock as she just stared at him as if she'd seen a ghost. There was a sense of satisfaction in knowing that he'd managed to unsettle her, betting that she'd been sure she'd never see him again. _Well surprise sweetheart_.

Clark stepped closer to her date and looked down. "As I said, I really need to talk to Lois."

"I said get lost, she obviously doesn't want to speak to you. Just who do you think you are pal?

Clark smiled slowly. "I'm her husband. And I _really _need to talk to my wife."

**_To Be Continued..._**


	10. Chapter 9

_**Chapter Nine**_

_**The Present**_

You could've heard a pin drop in the tension surrounding them right now. Lois sat silently, still processing the tall man standing before her, unable to believe he was really here. He was smiling but it was a smile that didn't reach his eyes. His eyes, eyes that she had once loved so much were now cold as he looked at her, and she felt a shiver run through her.

"Your…_wife_?" Matt repeated after a moment. He turned and stared at Lois. "Is this true?"

Lois opened her mouth to reply but found that nothing would come out. Matt grabbed her shoulders roughly and shook her.

"Is this true!" he yelled in her face. She saw Clark step forward, placing a hand on Matt's shoulder, seemingly gentle but she could tell from the wince on Matt's face that it was anything but.

"I think it's time for you to leave." He said calmly but even Lois could hear the threatening tone of his voice.

"I'm not going anywhere _pal_and let go of me." He shrugged Clark's hand off and straightened up, glaring down at Lois. "You lied to me."

"I…I didn't."

"You never told me you had a husband. You led me on, what are you some kind of tease?"

At that Lois felt her anger start to bubble, her jumbled thoughts now starting to align now that the initial shock was passing. "You asked _me_out remember? And you were pretty adamant about it too. So don't give me the moral high ground here. And I am not married!"

Matt blinked as if not expecting that reaction. "Then who is_ he_?"

Lois' eyes flicked to Clark, who was watching the scene with interest. "He's my…ex-husband. I was married once, but not anymore."

"Then what the hell is he doing here?"

"I have no idea. But maybe it's best that we call it a night. I'll call you…"

Matt sneered at her and waved his hand. "Yeah, don't bother Lois. I've seen enough."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Lois standing opposite the table from Clark. "What are you doing Clark? Why are you even here?"

"I needed to talk to you."

Lois quickly gathered up her purse and shrugged into her jacket. "You knew I was on a date, I don't know how you knew but you knew! And now I look like a fool." She fished some bills out and threw them on the table, then left the restaurant with Clark following closely behind.

"Running again?" Clark drawled behind her as she made her way down the street. Since Matt had driven them here she had to walk. "Seems to be a habit of yours."

"How dare you?" She whirled around to face him but didn't calculate how close he was and she crashed into his chest. His hands reached out to steady her, his touch burning through the sleeves of her jacket until she pulled herself free. She folded her arms across her chest, if anything to keep her heavy breathing from being noticeable.

"How dare I? I think you know the answer to that Lois. But I am here because you need to listen to me and you can't walk away from me this time."

"That's not fair Clark."

"I don't really care what's fair to you right now Lois." His barb hit its mark, reminding her that she had no one to blame for his attitude towards her but herself. But it still hurt.

"I never did it to hurt you…I…"

"But you did it anyway." He shrugged. "It doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that you hear what I have to say."

Taking the pain and shoving it way down deep like she had for so many years that it was a habit now, Lois raised her chin. She wouldn't let him see how affected she was just by his mere presence. "Then tell me."

"You look good Lois." He said, looking her over, his expression softening for the briefest of moments before the icy calm returned.

Lois swallowed, what was she supposed to do here? She had no idea what to even say to him. A lot had gone on in their past, a lot that couldn't be fixed. And she'd always been so sure that she would never see him again in her life. So why was he here now? What did he want? And did she want to know?

Clark watched the cogs turning in her head, he knew his presence was throwing her for a loop and besides the satisfaction he got from turning her world upside down, he was also just content to look at her for a few minutes.

This was the woman who had broken his heart, torn it out actually and took his dreams along with it. And the only explanation she had given him was that her father didn't want them to be together. A fact that Clark had not forgotten and it only served to anger him whenever he thought back to that awful day, which by sheer willpower wasn't often.

Simply put, Lois Lane had chosen her father over him, her husband. And he'd do well to remember that.

"Clark." Her voice pulled him out of his memories and he looked back to see her watching him, confused, bewildered and maybe just a little bit scared. Of him? He hoped not.

They stood completely still on the sidewalk, neither moving, just staring at each other. "How did you know where I was tonight?" she asked.

"A friend told me."

Her eyes narrowed. "Would that friend happened to be called Bruce Wayne?"

Clark shrugged in response, irritating her. "Why on earth would you be friends with a multi-billionaire?" she shook her head. "Never mind, don't answer that. What I really want to know is…why would Bruce Wayne, a guy I've never met in my life, send a high priced lawyer to get me out of a jail cell?"

"Because I asked him to." Clark replied simply. Lois blinked. Clark had sent her help?

"That was…that was you?"

Clark looked surprised at her shock. "You think I would leave you in danger?"

"Well I wouldn't blame you." Then his words hit her. "Wait, I'm in danger?"

"Come on Lois, you had to know that your inquisitive nature would get you into serious trouble one day."

Her mouth dropped open. "So this is my fault? Is that what you're saying?"

He sighed. "No, I didn't mean…"

She cut him off, angry at his words, still thrown by his reappearance into her life. "I never asked you to come here Clark! I don't need a babysitter."

"Oh really? Then how exactly did you get yourself into this mess?"

"I've heard enough." She stormed off down the street, ignoring him as he caught up and started walking alongside her.

"Lois…"

"Just…leave me alone Clark."

He grabbed her arm and brought her to a halt. His grip wasn't punishing but it wasn't soft either. When she looked up at him, she could see the anger in his eyes.

"You don't get to tell me that Lois. Not anymore."

Her eyes met his, pleading with him to give her a small break. "What do you want Clark?"

Clark let go of her and stood back, creating as much distance as he could without calling attention to it, but Lois noticed it.

"I want you to be safe. This mess you're in, however you got into it, it's bad Lois. You're up against something and you can't win."

"Oh I can't? Thanks for the vote of confidence. Look I'm a big girl, I don't need someone to come swooping in to rescue me. How do you even know so much about this anyway?"

"The lawyer that Bruce sent, he did some research. And Bruce told me what he found out."

"Which was what?"

Clark started walking again, indicating for Lois to follow, which she did but slowly, waiting for him to continue talking. "Intergang are dangerous Lois, you can't go up against them alone. I don't care how tough you think you are, you will get seriously hurt if you try."

"But why you?" she blurted, and her eyes widened but the words were out, too late to take back. "I mean, Bruce already sent me someone, why did you come back?"

Clark drew in a deep breath and released it slowly. "I want my life back. I finished my training with my father, I have travelled the world many times over. I just…I want to go back to being part of the world rather than looking in on it. And I…"

Lois stopped beside him. "And you what?"

He looked at her and for the first time that evening, Lois saw the man she remembered staring back at her. "I wanted to be sure that you were okay."

"Oh…"

As if sensing her confusion over his words, Clark straightened up and almost instantly that cool, calm façade was back. The glimpse of the old Clark that she knew had been just that – a glimpse.

"Clark…" she reached out and touched his arm. "About what happened…I'm sorry…"

He glanced at her and smiled, seemingly genuine but Lois couldn't tell with him anymore. It felt like she hardly knew him, and that hurt. "Don't be. It was a long time ago and it's in the past. You were right, we were too young. I've learned a lot since then."

Lois got the message loud and clear. He didn't want to talk about it. And obviously that wasn't the reason he was here so she should just drop it.

They started walking again, in silence this time when something occurred to Lois. "Hey Clark…"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you tell my date that we're still married?"

And there it was again, that chilling smile that said he knew more than she perhaps wanted to know. "Because we are."

She chuckled dryly. "No seriously, don't joke."

"What's the matter Lois? Afraid your husband is going to cramp your single lifestyle?"

_Ouch**. **_"Clark, this is serious!"

"Okay, okay. Yes Lois, we are still legally married."

Her jaw dropped. "How? Why, when?"

"Well you may remember filing for an annulment but one little detail escaped your notice."

She could feel the blood practically drain from her face as he grinned at her. "What?"

"We weren't eligible for an annulment Lois, because we'd been married too long and had already consummated…"

"Oh God…so we're officially still married?"

"Yep, man and wife. You didn't hang around long enough to find that out though. But don't worry, it won't be for much longer."

She closed her eyes and shook her head, this evening had not turned out at all like she'd planned. In fact it had been the epitome of crazy and her head felt like it was going to explode. "When did you get so mean?"

"Right around the time my wife left me." Clark replied without thinking, feeling a stab of guilt when he saw her shoulders droop.

"I'm sorry Clark. I know that you don't believe me, and I know that I can never make up for it, but I am sorry."

His face softened and he reached out to touch her shoulder. "No I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that. It's okay Lois. Like I said, it's in the past now. Right now I'm more concerned with keeping you alive."

"Don't you think you're exaggerating just a little?"

He shook his head, sending a wayward curl across his forehead. Her fingers itched to sweep it back, like she had done so many times before, but she knew she couldn't. Those days were long gone now.

"Does it matter if I am if the price is your life?"

"I guess not." It bothered her that she couldn't argue with his logic. When had he gotten so good at persuading people? "So what exactly are you going to do?"

"Well first things first we need to find out exactly who we can trust within the police department. I'll need a list of all the sources you have there."

"I can't give you that."

Clark levelled a glare at her. "Lois, one of them may well be in Intergang's pocket so I don't care if you have some sort of reporter code with these guys, I need the list."

Again she felt her irritation rise up. "And I'm telling you that I can't."

"Can't or won't?"

"Both!" What was it about this man that could infuriate her so much? One minute they were friendly, the next at each other's throats.

Clearly frustrated, Clark ran a hand through his hair, mussing it up in a way that Lois found irresistibly sexy. "If we can find out who the mole is in the police, we can relax a little easier. Intergang won't go down easy, they have a lot of ties to a lot of people, we need to find something on them that will stick. But when we do, we will need to be able to trust the people we take it to and I won't know who that is if you won't help me."

Lois groaned, hating that his words actually made sense to her. "Fine, but I do this under extreme protest."

"Thank you. Wasn't so hard was it?"

_If only you knew_, she thought. Simply being around him right now was hard. But she wasn't about to let him know that.

Before she even realised how far they'd walked, they were standing outside her apartment building. Clark turned to her and held something out. "This is my cell phone number, call me if you need me."

"Or I could just yell." She said without thinking, her lips tilting up at the corners.

He smiled back. "Or you could just yell. But just in case…"

"Where are you going to be staying? At the farm?"

"No, I have an apartment here in Metropolis. Not far from here actually."

Deciding to leave that information till later to process, Lois made her way to the door. "Well…"

"Goodnight Lois." He said softly.

"Goodnight Clark." She replied, watching as he turned and started walking away.

She kept a tight lid on her rampant thoughts all the way up on the elevator, but once she was inside the dark eerie quiet of her apartment, they all came rushing in. Clark was back. And she was still his wife.

Shaking her head, she removed her jacket and moved to turn a lamp on. As the light came on, it illuminated the dark figure standing in the corner of her room, and she registered the gun in his hand, pointed straight at her.

"Hello Miss Lane."

"Who are you?" she asked, trying to stay calm whilst looking for some kind of weapon.

"Just a messenger." He said before grabbing her arm in a tight, painful grip. She swung her other arm around and caught him off guard, punching him in the jaw. Ignoring the pain in her hand, Lois moved to strike again but he was faster this time. He dropped his gun and grabbed her, his grip on both arms hard and unyielding, his fingertips biting into her flesh. She struggled and kicked as he threw the balcony doors open and dragged her out onto the patio.

Seeing what was coming, she fought harder, getting a few good hits in here and there, but he was too strong and he overpowered her easily. He threw her against the brick wall separating them from a very long drop and she felt her ribs connect with the bricks. She had no time to contemplate the pain though because he grabbed her legs and pushed, sending her over the edge.

"You should've kept your nose out." He growled, right before letting her go.

Lois slammed her eyes shut, feeling the wind biting at her as she fell, waiting for the inevitable pain to come. Her scream filled her ears as her hands desperately clambered for something to grab onto to. But it was no use.

It took her a few minutes to realise that the pain she was waiting for, never came. Slowly, very slowly, she cracked one eye open and then two. The face of her husband was staring back at her with…concern?

"I've got you." He said, wrapping his arm tighter around her waist. Eventually she realised that she was gripping his shoulders so tight that her knuckles were turning white, but she didn't dare to loosen her grip.

When she eventually found her voice, she glanced down below them. "Since when can you fly?"

"I told you Lois, I've learned a lot since we knew each other. I'm a different person."

As much as that thought made her sad, right now Lois couldn't be anything but grateful. "You saved me. How did you know…?"

His eyes burned into hers, the intensity in them momentarily knocking the wind out of her. "I said I wouldn't leave you in danger Lois and I won't. I heard you scream, I saw you falling and I had to get to you. So…here I am."

"Thank you."

He was holding her so close that their noses were practically touching. Lois wasn't sure if it was the adrenalin or the fear but she could swear that there was still something between them. That electricity that sizzled anytime they were close. But she was imagining it, wishing for something that she had killed a long time ago.

"Now do you believe me?" he asked.

She nodded. "Having a guy point a gun at you and throw you off your own balcony tends to make one a believer."

"Good. Listen Lois, until this is over I want you to come stay at my place."

Lois wasn't sure which one of them was more shocked, because it was clear from Clark's expression that that particular offer hadn't been thought out.

"I don't think that's a good idea Clark…"

"Maybe not, but I don't want you to be alone while this is going on. Look we're both adults, we've moved on with our lives. We can handle this. What do you say?"

Could she handle it though? It was pretty clear that he could, that he'd moved on but could she do the same? She would have to, she reasoned, her life was at stake here.

With a deep breath she nodded. "Fine, but only for a couple of nights."

He chuckled as he set them down on his own balcony. "Sure, a couple of nights…"

**_To Be Continued..._**


	11. Chapter 10

**_Chapter Ten_**

Lois licked her lips then exhaled slowly. "Well, that was fun." She said dryly.

Clark paused in the midst of rooting through a box in the kitchen, looking at her with that wary expression that was starting to become a habit. Would he ever look at her normally again? "We had to report it Lois."

The police had come, at Clark's insistence since she'd been so reluctant to even call them. Two detectives had shown up, the one who had arrested her and one that she knew well. She hoped Neil was one of the good guys, he'd been her source of information for a couple of years now. He'd certainly seemed sympathetic enough, giving her a small supportive smile when the other had started asking questions that seemed like he thought this was her fault.

Maybe he had a point.

"I know but…"

"Lois, someone tried to kill you tonight. We had no choice."

She flinched at his blunt words. "I remember, thanks."

His gaze softened a little. "Sorry, but we need to figure out exactly who we can trust and who we can't."

She nodded but didn't reply. Her head was a mess of thoughts and she didn't even know where to start sorting them out. It felt like the whole world was out to get her right now. Maybe she should've backed off, but then…Melissa had needed her help. _And look where that got her._ She couldn't change what had happened. All she could do now was make sure that she got justice for Melissa, and anyone else in Intergang's grip.

Shaking her head she got up off the sofa and for the first time since entering Clark's new apartment, she took a look around. It was…not what she'd been expecting.

To be honest she didn't know what she'd been expecting but she hadn't thought it would be so…empty. There were still boxes everywhere so he'd obviously only just moved in but there was something about the place that made her feel…sad. It was like it was just a place to lay his head at night, not a home. She wondered if he was lonely, then stopped that line of thought. It couldn't lead her anywhere good.

He must've noticed her looking around because he walked over and stopped in the little archway that led into the kitchen. Leaning against the frame he looked around the living room. "It's not done yet. I only moved in a couple of days ago. But it'll do for now."

She nodded. "It's a nice place Clark."

"Thanks. I guess now I need to get a job."

Lois' eyes widened for a split second. Was he…was he smiling? It certainly looked that way. "Well, unless you plan on being evicted, I'd say so. But uh…what about…?"

"What about what?" he asked, moving into the room.

"You know…you."

He frowned, moving closer to her. "Me?"

"Your abilities."

"Oh. Well nothing will change there. I've been helping people all around the world for the past few years. Some was part of my training, most was simply because I knew I had to help them. I came to Metropolis to help people as well as have some sort of life."

But not with her, she realised. And that was okay…wasn't it? She had no right to ask anything of him. Then why did that thought hurt so much?

"What did you do for money? Even you have to eat at some point, unless your Fortress thingy supplied that too."

He chuckled. "No, I made a modest living doing odd jobs, actually I wrote a few articles for a few magazines and newspapers here and there. Nothing at the level you're at but it was…okay."

Realising how close he was now, Lois couldn't decide whether to stand still, or move back. She'd missed him so much, but being this close to him was painful. So she stepped back and ran her hands through her hair.

"I need to go back to my apartment."

"What now?" He asked, a little shocked.

"All of my files are there, everything I have on Intergang so far. I don't want them to fall into the wrong hands Clark."

He nodded, understanding. "Okay I'll take you."

When he reached for her, she quickly moved out of his way. "Can we…just take a cab?"

He frowned again but then nodded. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy the flying, well she'd been too scared to really appreciate it but having him hold her in those arms, being so close she could smell his skin, it was too much to bear right now.

"Sure. Not sure if we can get one this time of night but…I'll try."

There was a strange tone to his voice, tight, lower, almost as if he was angry. But he smiled politely enough as he walked past her and out of the door to head downstairs.

"_What the hell are you doing here Lois?"_ she asked herself, not expecting an answer because even though she knew deep down that this was a very bad idea, it was the only answer to her predicament right now. As much as she hated it, Clark was the only one who she could trust to protect her and she had a terrible feeling that she would need it, sooner or later.

Clark stepped out of the lobby and onto the street, waiting to see if any taxis drove past. It was pretty quiet, so he didn't hold any hope out. But he wasn't going to take the chance of walking even though it wasn't far. He took a moment to absorb the evening's events. He'd gone from never wanting to see her, to finding her on a date – something that bugged him no matter how much he knew it shouldn't – to inviting her to stay in his home…with him. No matter how he looked at it, this was bad. Very bad.

But he couldn't just leave her in trouble either. It went against everything in his nature. He could've left it to Bruce, he'd said he wouldn't mind, but for some strange reason, Clark felt like this was his responsibility. After all, she was technically still his wife. Something which would soon be remedied. He wasn't quite sure how to feel about that, but it was a necessary step in getting his life back. He had to put the past in the past, and move on with his life.

"Clark?" her voice sounded behind him, small and quiet. Closing his eyes, he took a moment to prepare before turning to face her. "Are there any?"

He shook his head. "I don't think we're going to get one this late Lois. Why don't we go tomorrow when it's light?"

"No, I need those files Clark. If there is a mole in the police station, they'll know that I'm not there tonight, I don't want someone snooping through my apartment."

The panic he could see in her eyes had him agreeing. "Okay, then let me fly us there."

The way she hesitated at his suggestion made him clench his jaw. Could she not even stand to be touched by him now? _Figures_, he thought. She was probably still thinking about that guy at the restaurant.

"Okay." Finally she agreed, but the reluctant way she did it annoyed the heck out of him. He guided her into a nearby alley, picked her up and looked around. He didn't look down at her before taking off but he could feel her eyes on him and he wondered what she was thinking.

Ten seconds later they were standing in front of her apartment. She unlocked it and then stopped so suddenly that Clark almost crashed into her back. "Lois…?"

He looked over her head and saw what she was looking at. Her apartment had been totally ransacked. There was so much mess everywhere, drawers and their contents spilling out, picture frames smashed, even the sofa cushions had gaping holes in them.

"Lois, we shouldn't be here." He whispered, getting a strange feeling. She walked further into the apartment, speechless as she sank down onto the damaged couch.

"Oh my God Clark, they destroyed my home."

The desolation in her voice snagged something in him, deep down inside and he soon found himself crouching on the floor in front of her.

"Hey, Lois look at me. Look at me! It's going to be okay. Let me take you back to my place and then I'll come back here and take a look around, see if anything's missing."

"How would you even know if it was?" she snapped, but the tears in her eyes stopped him from retaliating.

Taking a steadying breath, he murmured. "You don't need to be here Lois. Whatever they were looking for, they either found it, or they didn't. I doubt they'll be back. I'll call Neil and tell him, he can get someone to watch the place."

Slowly she nodded but he had no idea if she actually heard what he'd said. Then she rose and dashed into what he assumed was her bedroom. Quickly he followed, entering the room to find her going through her closet.

"Lois?"

"Got it!" she yelled, a relieved tone in her voice. She reappeared waving some papers and a flash drive at him. "I think they might've been looking for this."

"Those are your notes on Intergang?"

She nodded. "Yes and I'm betting they desperately want to know how much I know. Killing me isn't any good if I have evidence in my apartment."

"You have evidence?" Clark asked, stepping towards her.

"Not 'evidence' as such. Nothing that could put them away. But I have notes, witness reports among other things.

Clark quickly glanced at the pages, but they told him nothing. He needed Lois to explain them. "Okay, come on we should get going."

"One second…" she walked over to her nightstand then turned to him. "Uh…could you wait outside please Clark?"

His eyes narrowed but he did as she asked, wondering why now she would need privacy.

Back out in the living room, Clark stood feeling a little helpless as he surveyed the mess. She shouldn't have to live in fear of her own home being broken into. He took his phone out, called Neil and reported it.

Lois sat down on the bed, taking a moment to gather herself. It was only when she reached for her drawer that she noticed her hands were shaking. _Get it together Lois_, she told herself. Being scared was one thing, but letting that fear take over was not something she ever allowed herself to do.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the bottom drawer of her nightstand. Inside was a small silver box. She slowly released the breath she'd been holding as she opened it and then sighed in relief. It was still there.

Slipping the item into her pocket, she took a last look around her bedroom then left to join Clark, who was just getting off the phone.

"Neil's on his way over." He said, his tone strangely flat.

"Okay."

"He said we don't need to be here, he's going to process the scene and see if he can get any prints. It is technically a crime scene so he doesn't want us to mess with anything."

"This is my home."

Clark's head tilted and she was sure she saw a look of sympathy, which made this whole thing worse. She didn't want his pity or sympathy.

He smiled gently. "It's going to be alright Lois. I promise."

Irritated and feeling a hundred different emotions she couldn't identify, Lois snapped. "Don't make promises you can't keep Clark."

His smile fell. "No, that's more your territory isn't it?"

_Ouch_. She opened her mouth to retaliate but then quickly snapped it shut. This wasn't the time or the place and she just wasn't sure she had the strength to go through all that right now.

Clark saw how pale she was, the black circles under her eyes and immediately felt guilty. She'd been through enough for one evening without him throwing barbs at her.

"Come on, let's go."

Silently, almost as if she wasn't really there, Lois nodded and let him lead her to the balcony. The way she clung to him as he flew concerned him a little. She didn't say a word the whole way back and that wasn't like her.

As he set her down in his living room, she removed herself from his grasp and went to sit on the sofa. He didn't really know what to do, stay or leave her alone. There was a charge in the air between them, he wasn't naïve enough to deny it. There was still something there. But animosity and regrets could never make for a happy relationship. No, he knew what had to be done.

She took her jacket off and laid it over the back of the couch, as she did that her hair fell in gentle waves over her shoulders. It was darker than when he'd been with her. Back then she'd been blonde. He wondered why she'd changed it. Though he had to admit the darker colour suited her better. Shaking his head he stopped that line of thinking and sat down next to her as she started pouring through her notes on the coffee table in front of her.

"So…what exactly do you know so far?" he asked, going for a light friendly tone. Unsure if he succeeded.

She glanced at him briefly then back to the table. "Intergang are buying up a lot of buildings in Suicide Slums. They spend money on them, bring them back to life as it were, then rent them at a low rate to those who can't afford decent housing."

"Doesn't ring any alarm bells though."

"Right, that's what I thought. Which was why I looked into it. Why would a guy like Morgan Edge want to help the city's homeless? Not only that, he's helping them get jobs. He even has the Mayor's support. But what people don't know is that those jobs are usually something illegal. Melissa…" she stopped at the mention of her name.

"That's the woman who was killed?"

"Y…yes. She was my source."

"I'm sorry Lois."

The gentleness of his voice made her look at him and he hated seeing the sadness in her eyes. His fingers itched to smooth the hair out of her face, so he clamped them shut in a tight fist.

"I guess it's my fault. If I hadn't gotten her involved, she might still be alive."

"Don't do that to yourself. If her job was as dangerous as you say it was, she was in trouble either way."

"Maybe. Anyway she was helping me with inside information. They made her turn to prostitution to pay her rent. But she was sure that something else…something big was going on. She heard whispers, but never enough to actually tell me what it might be."

"Okay so what exactly do you have on them?" he asked, shifting in his seat to get a closer look at the papers. A move that brought him a little closer to Lois. His thigh accidentally touched hers and he had to close his eyes to ignore the way it felt. Because it reminded him of a time long passed.

She must've noticed it too because he saw her move ever so slightly so that they were no longer close enough to touch. "Well so far I have a few names. Morgan Edge is the leader, he's the go to guy. Bruno Manheim is the one you gotta watch out for. He's the brawn not the brains. Morgan's second-in-command. He was the one Melissa said she always dealt with."

"Okay so there's a chance that the guy who attacked you tonight was Bruno?"

She shook her head. "No, that wasn't him. I've never seen that guy before so he must be some kind of lacky. There's no way Morgan wouldn't make sure this couldn't be traced back to Intergang."

"Okay so how do we find out what they're up to? We can't just go walking up to Morgan and ask."

Lois sighed and rubbed her eyes, she looked so tired. "I don't know that yet. But I'll find a way."

The way she said that caused some alarm. "Lois, you're not doing anything stupid. They mean serious business here."

"Stupid? Is that what I am?"

"If you go in there guns blazing, then yes."

"I can't do this anymore." She stood up and grabbed her jacket.

"What?"

"This, here with you. I can't…I just…"

"Lois this is the safest place for you right now. I don't care if you don't want to be around me, frankly that was your decision and I had to live with it but you don't need to leave."

She let out a small cry. "See? That's exactly what I'm talking about! You can't expect me to stay here, go through this case with you and put up with your constant jabs at me. I feel bad enough as it is Clark, I do not need your guilt trip too. I know I hurt you and I am deeply sorry, but until you learn to let go of that and try to move past it, we can't be in the same room."

She was right, he realised. But he still had so much anger toward her. For what she did, what she gave up on. They could've been good together. Now neither of them would ever know. But that didn't make what he was doing right either.

"Okay. I'll try." He said, and that was the best he could offer her.

It seemed as if she'd sensed that too because she nodded and took her jacket off again, wincing as she bent down to pick up her papers.

"Lois?"

She blew out a breath and smiled as she stood up. "I'm fine."

"No you're not. Why are you holding your side? What did he do to you?"

"Just a little bruise from our scuffle, I promise I'm fine."

Clark stood up to face her and grabbed her shoulders when she tried to turn away. "Let me see. Please."

She licked her dry lips and hesitated for a few moments and just when he thought she wouldn't, she rolled her eyes and pulled her shirt up just a little. He almost gasped when he saw the large dark bruise forming on her ribs. He reached out to gently graze his fingers over her skin, but quickly yanked his hand back. "Lois, what happened?"

She looked up, an action that brought them almost nose to nose. "I uh…I think I hit a wall or something. I can't remember, it's…fuzzy."

He squinted and looked deeper. "Nothing's broken at least. But we should get some ice on that."

For the first time that night, she chuckled and the sound clawed at something inside him. He'd always loved the sound of her laughter. "What's so funny?"

She indicated his apartment. "Do you even have any ice?"

"Ah, good point. Well not a problem, I'll make some."

He moved away and walked into the kitchen. Lois followed and perched herself on a nearby chair. "Make some? How are you going to do that?"

_Oh there's so much you don't know Lois_, he thought sadly. "Like this." He filled a glass with water, and then, watching her gaze he blew into it. The shock on her face as the water slowly turned to ice was priceless.

"Wow…" she breathed.

Grinning, he tipped it out onto a cloth, wrapped it, and then smashed it with his fist. "There you go, instant ice."

She nodded approvingly as she took it from him. "You're kind of handy to have around."

His smile faded when she winced at the feel of the ice on her side. It didn't matter what he felt for her, he still didn't like to see her in pain. "Lois…"

"Yeah?"

"I think we should talk."

She didn't pretend to misunderstand him. She nodded. "I think we should too."

**_To Be Continued..._**


	12. Chapter 11

**_Chapter Eleven_**

Clark stood by the sink, waiting for Lois to begin talking. Five seconds after he'd said the words, he wanted to take them back. Because as much as he wanted to know why she'd walked out on him, on their marriage, he also didn't want to hear it might have been because of him.

There wasn't a day that went by in the last five years where he didn't wonder if he'd been the cause. Had he done something wrong? You don't just fall out of love with someone, and if Lois truly loved him like she'd told him, she would've fought for them. Surely.

"I don't even know how to start." Lois said, looking down at her hands in her lap.

"I guess you can start by telling me why you left me? And don't give me the whole 'we were too young' speech because I heard that already. I didn't believe it then, and I don't really believe it now."

She frowned up at him. "But I thought you said…"

"I know what I said Lois. And maybe, _maybe_ you were right in that. Maybe we were too young. But would it have mattered? We had each other, or so I thought."

"Clark…it would. You know that deep down."

He shook his head, folding his arms across his chest. "No, I don't know that and neither do you. You never gave us a chance Lois. We'd barely been married for five minutes and you were walking out the door. Did you even want us to work?"

"Of course I did. I really was happy with you. But things change, circumstances that are sometimes out of our control…" she trailed off with a distracted look in her eye, as if she were thinking back to that day.

"What is that supposed to even mean?" he asked, getting a little tired of her non-answers now.

She let out a tired sigh and leaned her elbows on the table in front of her. "I never wanted to hurt you," she whispered.

"And yet…you did." He whispered back.

She grimaced. "I had no choice Clark. My father can be very persuasive when he wants to be. He made me see that us being married…it was never going to work."

Anger bubbled beneath the surface, but he pushed it down. He'd asked for answers, he couldn't walk away now that after five long years of not knowing, he was finally getting them. "I must've missed the trip that you took into the future."

Her sad eyes met his. "Please don't be like that Clark. I'm trying to explain, I really am. But it's hard."

His eyes narrowed at her. Even after all this time, he could tell when she was keeping something hidden. "What's this really all about Lois? You're hiding something, something you don't want me to know. What is it?"

Shifting in her seat, she glanced away. "I'm not hiding anything, I'm trying to give you answers Clark. I don't know what more you want from me."

He pulled out a chair opposite her and sat down. "I just want the truth. Please Lois, you at least owe me that much. What happened to us?"

"Nothing, we were fine. More than fine." She shook her head and looked him straight in the eye. "Clark, the months that we spent together, you have to know that they were the happiest of my entire life. I had never been so in love as I was with you."

"Then what changed?"

Sighing she folded her hands together in front of her, staring down at them again instead of him. "The day my father came to the farm. You were out, I had no idea where you'd gone or when you'd even be back."

He remembered very well where he'd been. Meeting Chloe, begging her to give Lois another chance. "Did you ever have that chat with Chloe?"

She frowned at the sudden change in subject but quickly recovered enough to answer. "No, not then anyway. Anyway, the day that my father came, he told me something."

As she hesitated, Clark felt the weight of the silence pressing down on him. "What did he say Lois?"

She looked up at him, her eyes shiny with unshed tears but he refused to let himself become affected. He couldn't afford it, not right now. There was still so much he needed to know, to understand.

"Clark…I loved you so much. But my father, he was so angry…" she frowned, remembering back to that awful day. "But he was also scared."

"What did he have to be scared about? I know we were young but we were both adults Lois, we made the decision on our own."

She shook her head sadly. "That's not what I mean. He told me that he was sick and that he needed me to go with him."

All of a sudden a lot of little things about her speech in the barn made a lot of sense. He'd known then that she wasn't telling him everything. "Why did you need to leave me though? I would've understood if you'd told me. I would've given you time to be with him, helped you through it. Did he…I mean is he okay now or…?"

She let out a harsh laugh. "Oh he's just fine. Absolutely fine."

Confused at the bitter tone in her voice he frowned. "That's good isn't it?"

She shrugged. "I guess."

"Lois…what is it?"

She held both hands to her face and groaned. "I don't want to tell you."

"Why not?" he asked, unable to stop himself from reaching out to pull one of her hands away so that she would look at him. She may lie with her words, but her eyes always told him what she was feeling.

"Because if I tell you, I'm admitting how stupid I was. How I ruined everything."

"Lois, just tell me. I need to know what happened."

She drew in a shaky breath and removed her hand from his. Ignoring the strange feeling that left him, Clark waited.

"He told me that he was sick. He never told me how bad it was or even what it was until we were gone. I spent a month going to the doctor with him, but I was never allowed in with him and each time he came out, he kept saying what they'd found and what their treatment plan was."

A sense of dread washed over Clark and he prayed that he was wrong but he could sense where this was going.

"He had a tumour Clark." She said quietly. "The doctors removed it, but it wasn't until after that that I found out the truth." With pain filled eyes, she looked at him. "It was benign and I was happy to hear that at the time, thinking that he was lucky you know. But then I found out that he knew all along."

Clark gasped. "No…"

"Yes. He kept that little detail from me to keep me by his side." Again her eyes met his and this time he saw just how deeply she was hurting. "I'm so sorry Clark, I walked away from you and there's not a day that goes by that I don't regret it. I thought I was doing it for the right reasons, letting you go seemed like the kinder thing to do at the time."

Clark couldn't speak, his mind was a jumble of thoughts. After knowing what she'd gone through when she'd lost her mother, Clark couldn't believe that her father would use that against her. Not even if he had her best interests at heart. The pain she must've felt would've been just…awful to bear.

When she looked away and he saw a tear slide down her cheek, he got up and walked around to her side. Taking her hands he pulled her up and into a hug. Neither spoke for the longest time, and after he felt her relax into him, he tightened his hold on her, feeling something he hadn't felt in years.

Her body still fit against his like she was made for him and him only. And for the first time in five years, he allowed himself to remember what if felt like to hold her, to feel the weight of her pressed against him. And it felt good. Too good.

After a few more minutes passed, she raised her head to look at him, but she stayed within his embrace.

"How could he lie to you like that?" Clark whispered, filled with anger on her behalf.

She swallowed hard and frowned. "He didn't lie exactly. I mean he was genuinely sick…but he never told me that he wasn't in any real danger. And I can never forgive him for that. But in a weird, twisted way I understand why he did it."

"What?" Clark asked, shocked.

"He didn't want me to throw my life away, not at that age. He still thought he had some control over me and he didn't want me married and settling down to a life on a farm with a country boy."

Clark tried not to react to that as he gently let her go and moved back a few steps. She crossed her arms over her stomach but not before he saw that her hands were still shaking.

"Is that how you saw us?"

A hand shot out as if to touch him but she quickly pulled it back. "No, not at all. I was in love with you Clark, I would've gone anywhere with you. Anyway, I left after I found out about my dad. I've not spoken to him in over three years. I may be able to understand why he did what he did, but I can never forgive him for it. I never wanted to tell you this. Admitting that I had wrecked everything we had is hard. I walked away, I destroyed our marriage, but I needed you to understand that I never left because of you. It was just that…everyone was so against us Clark, and we _were_ young. But I would've stayed if I'd known…"

He held up his hand to stop her and tried to speak in a gentle tone, pushing the sound past the lump in his throat. All this time he'd been blaming her for getting cold feet and she'd been dealing with all this. "It's not your fault Lois. I mean, I am still a little angry that you couldn't trust me enough to come to me with this. But I get it."

Her eyes narrowed. "I don't think you do. It was _never_ about trust. I trusted you with my life…still do."

"But you didn't trust me with your heart. I would've taken care of you."

"Please don't Clark, it was never about that. Of course I trusted you, I would never have married you if I didn't. And you _know_ that. I just…I feel so stupid. I didn't want you dragged into all that mess and I knew that you were destined for great things. Your parents were right, and I felt that letting you go was the best thing."

"For who?" he asked quietly.

"For you. I loved you too much to hold you back." She let out a sad chuckle. "And I was right. Look at you now Clark, look at who you are, what you can do. Could you have honestly done what you did with me chained to you?"

"Is that how you saw it? Being chained to me? Because it wasn't how I saw it. I wanted you by my side Lois, whatever the future brought I was ready for it because I knew I would always have you. After you left, I was so…well I barely talked to anyone. I tried to go back to normal, to live the way I'd been living most of my life. But after a while living on the farm felt…wrong. Like something in me knew that I needed to begin my training with Jor-El. I was finally ready for that."

She stepped a little closer to him. "But don't you see? Would you really have been ready to take that step if I was there?"

"Yes! Because I loved you, I wanted you with me." He turned away from her, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "There was nothing I couldn't face if I knew that you were there waiting for me. But I guess I should thank you really."

She raised an inquisitive eyebrow but stayed silent.

"You leaving finally gave me the perspective I needed to see that I couldn't cling to my life at the farm anymore. That I needed to go out into the world and do my own thing. Own up to who I was and what I sent here for."

Hearing those words was harder than she'd thought and yet, he was completely right wasn't he? It had been her mistake, but she had set him free. "And did you?"

He nodded. "I think so. I know who I am now. I know what I want to do with my life."

"Then that's good."

Something in her tone told him that this wasn't over, that there was still more, but looking at her now, her face closed off, he doubted she would share it. "Lois, what else aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing. That's it."

"Don't give me that I can see it in your eyes."

She pushed her hair away from her face and gave him a smile, it was clearly fake but at least she was trying. "Clark, you wanted answers, I gave you answers." Then her smile fell. "I am so ashamed of what I did, I let you go because of something I believed and I'm still paying for it. I just…I don't want you to ever think that I wanted to leave you. I did it because I felt that I had to."

He didn't know how to feel about that, painting her as the villain all these years had been the easier option. Hating her felt reliable, safe. But now, after hearing what he'd heard tonight, he was no longer sure how to feel about the woman standing in his living room.

Her reason for leaving was not what he'd been expecting and even though he could now understand it, he still couldn't get past the fact that she hadn't wanted to tell him. Hadn't wanted his help. It was still a bitter pill to swallow.

"Look it's really late and I've had a really bad day so can we just…call it a night?"

He looked over at her, at the dark circles under her red rimmed eyes, the way she was still holding her side and immediately felt bad for keeping her up this late. Someone had tried to kill her today, and before he could analyse the feelings _that_ brought up in him, he knew he had to let her get some rest.

He nodded and cleared his throat. "Sure. Lois?"

She stopped and turned back to him. "Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Finally telling me the truth. But I need you to know something now."

Slowly he walked over to her, stopping as he got close enough to see her swallow hard. "It wouldn't have made a difference. I would still have made the same choices but it would've been better,"

"How can you even know that?" she whispered, wide eyed as she stared up at him.

He gently tucked a piece of stray hair behind her ear and almost smiled. "Because I would have had you."

**_To Be Continued..._**


	13. Chapter 12

**_Chapter Twelve_**

Bruno paced around his office like a caged tiger, feeling very on edge. He was waiting on a call from Morgan and he had nothing to tell him about his progress with Lois Lane. The damn woman was still alive. Still a thorn in his side. Though how she was still alive was a mystery to him. The man he'd hired had told him he'd thrown her from the balcony of her apartment, so why hadn't she hit the ground?

He paused for a second and glanced down at his desk, her smiling face stared back at him, irritating him. Didn't matter, either way she was still alive. With a burst of rage he swept the items and the photo off his desk, sending them clattering to the ground. As he stared out the window of his office, the rain began to fall, matching his grey mood perfectly. And then with a loud shrill, his torment was here. Snatching the phone up quickly, he answered it. "Hello?"

"I trust you have good news for me." Again it wasn't a question; it was a demand, as it always was with Morgan Edge.

"Uh, well…"

Morgan sighed. "Bruno, you assured me this problem would be taken care of. Now is it? Or isn't it?"

Bruno drew in a deep breath. "It isn't. Not yet at least but I am working on it."

"What happened? I want details, if you screw anything up for me I'll…"

"I had someone go over to her apartment last night. He told me he got the job done. Only she survived. Someone saved her. I don't know how it happened but she…well she's still alive boss."

Silence and an odd faint buzzing sound filled his ear and Bruno found himself holding his breath, only releasing it when Morgan spoke.

"This is not what I wanted to hear Bruno. I trusted you to get the job done. Am I going to have to get someone in to do it for you? And take care of you too?"

"No! Not at all. I'm working on it, I promise. I will get it done. I just need a little more time to come up with a fool proof plan that's all."

"Well make sure it is, I don't trust fools like you for long."

"I assure you that by this time tomorrow, you'll be reading about her in papers."

"Good." There was a slight pause and then he continued. "I met with Richard this morning."

"Already? It's awfully early." He asked, glancing at his watch, it was only eight in the morning.

"He wanted details too." Morgan replied gruffly. He was not a happy man this morning, not happy at all and Bruno's news had only made things worse by the sound of it.

"About the operation?"

"No about the Christmas pageant." He sneered. "Of course the operation. Our wonderful Mayor wants another test run done. I had to agree in order to stop him pulling his support. Where are we on that?"

"I thought we had permission to ship it out?"

"We did, but until another test run is done, this time without a casualty, he won't allow another one. And without his support, it's impossible to get the right connections in order to sell the damn stuff."

"Well that sucks." Bruno said more to himself than Morgan.

"Yes, it does indeed 'suck' doesn't it? I'm taking care of it myself this time, I want you to focus on the Lane problem. I really don't need her getting wind of this right now. That woman is like a pitbull, she won't give in. So you need to make her."

Bruno felt a shiver go down his spine at the tone in Morgan's voice. Sometimes his boss enjoyed his job way too much. "I'll take care of it. I promise." 

* * *

><p>"So you're saying you haven't got any leads at all?"<p>

Detective Neil Ambers, one of Lois' most reliable sources from within the Metropolis Police Department, shook his head as he looked around her messy apartment. "I'm sorry Lois, there's nothing here. We couldn't find any prints, no DNA, nothing. They processed the scene fully. I know you think you know who did this but is there anyone else with a grudge against you right now? First the attack on you last night and now this. Someone means business with you."

Lois wrapped her arms around herself and suppressed a shudder. "I know that, and I know who it is. But I have nothing to go on. Morgan Edge needs to be taken down but until I have evidence that isn't going to happen is it?"

"Don't go doing anything rash Lois, I'll look into it and have a talk with him."

"Why? He won't say a word and he'll have a perfectly good alibi too. It wasn't him, it was one of his cronies."

"Be that as it may, I will need to talk to him anyway. I can't ignore the fact that you've been looking into his group and all of a sudden your life and apartment are attacked." He reached out and squeezed her shoulder, making her feel a little better about trusting him. "Don't worry, I'll get who's behind this."

"Well I hope you do. Preferably before I die."

He smiled a little at that. "Well let's hope it doesn't come to that."

"It won't." A voice chipped in and Lois looked over at Clark who was standing in the kitchen doorway with a strange look on his face.

Neil nodded and looked back down at Lois. "Just be careful in the meantime okay? I'll call you if I find anything else."

Lois nodded, thanked him and locked the door behind him, putting the chain across it for extra measure. Though as she turned and looked at Clark, she didn't know why she'd done it. Being locked in a room with him was bad enough, but the look on his face was still…she couldn't quite read it. It was as if he was angry, but it didn't seem to be directed at her. She thought it wasn't anyway, but she'd been wrong before.

"You okay?" he asked, taking his gaze away and focusing on helping her with the tidying up.

"I think so. Oh Clark look at this place, I don't even know where to start." She grimaced as she glanced at the mess. Everything she owned had been turned upside down, broken or tossed around. It was a little unsettling to know that someone, maybe the same man who'd tried to kill her, had been inside her home, and had done all of this. What if she'd been here at the time?

As she crouched down to start retrieving her cd's, most of which were cracked, she felt a weight pressing down on her. Like a feeling of immense sadness that all this was happening. But she cleared her throat and pushed it deep down inside. Lanes did not cry. She looked up at Clark, who was carefully brushing some broken glass into a box. Their talk last night had done a lot to alleviate the tension between them and if she was honest, she was glad that she'd told him the truth.

Well what he'd wanted to know anyway. Because at least now when he looked at her, she didn't see hatred in his eyes. But there was still something else there whenever he looked at her, some hidden emotion that she couldn't define and she was afraid to ask. A sort of peace had settled between them and she didn't want to break that for anything.

"So uh…" she started, keeping her eyes on her task instead of him. "How are your parents?"

"They're fine."

_Okay, short and sweet_, she thought. "They must be happy that you're back now."

"Yeah they are."

Lois paused for a second, wondering what to say next. "Um, are they happy about you living in Metropolis?"

Clark stopped what he was doing for a second and glanced over at her. "I don't think my Mom was as happy as she said she was. But they've lived without me for five years and I was on the other side of the world. Me being here isn't going to be that much of a problem. So yeah, they're happy for me."

"That's good. I'm glad." One thing she had never wanted was for Clark to lose the bond that he had with his parents. They were such a tight, loving unit when she'd been with them and she never wanted to get in the way of that. Thankfully, she hadn't.

"So when is Chloe getting back from her honeymoon?" he asked, shaking his head with a chuckle. "I still can't believe she's married."

"Me neither. But Jimmy's a great guy and they are very happy together so I'm pleased for her."

"Me too. I can't wait to see her. I hope she won't be too mad at me. It was bad enough when I ran away to Metropolis and that was only for a few months. I haven't seen her for five years."

Lois' face fell. "Oh something tells me she won't be mad at you."

Clark frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh nothing, it's not important. She'll be back in about a week or so."

The crunching sound of glass stopped again and all of a sudden she was being hauled to her feet. But as she faced him, she could see that he wasn't angry. His face was oddly blank as he held her by the upper arms. "Lois, what happened?" he asked softly.

"Uh well…she kinda blamed me for you leaving. It was no big deal Clark. We got over it once she knew the truth."

Surprise marked his features. "You told her but you couldn't tell me?"

She frowned. "No, she found out on her own. Lucy told her. It doesn't matter anyway, our relationship was fine after that. But when you first left, boy did she tear me a new one."

"She shouldn't have done that." He replied, his tone a little gruff.

Lois shrugged out of his grasp but she could still feel his fingers burning into her flesh. Why did his touch still affect her? Whatever they had died a long time ago. "Why not? It's no more than I said to myself."

"Because you were going through enough at the time. Even if she didn't know it, she shouldn't have done that." A thought occurred to him then. "Did you have anyone to talk to? When you found out about your dad I mean?"

"Before or after I found out that he lied to me?"

"Both." Their eyes connected for a second and Lois found it almost impossible to pull away. Her pulse kicked up a notch under the scrutiny of those beautiful blue-green eyes and before she knew it, goose bumps had broken out on her arms, making her wish she wasn't just wearing a t-shirt. Blinking fast she looked down at the ground, feeling her cheeks start to heat up. How embarrassing. She returned to her task of picking her cd's up but to her dismay, Clark crouched down right next to her. "Lois?"

She cleared her throat, hoping her voice didn't betray how her body was feeling. "I didn't need anyone Clark. I was better off by myself."

"That's crap and you know it."

She reared her head up, unused to hearing such words coming from Clark Kent, well from the mild-mannered Clark she'd once known. The man in front of her was no longer shy nor did he hold back from telling her what he really thought. It was amazing how time could change a person so much, and yet, he was still exactly what she remembered too. It was…odd.

Pursing her lips, she replied. "Crap or not, I didn't need anyone. I didn't want anyone with me because I…"

"Because you what?"

_Because I deserved it._ "Nothing, it doesn't matter. Can we please just drop it? I need to get this apartment sorted so that I can actually get my life back to normal."

For a few moments it seemed like he was going to argue the point, until something else side-tracked him.

"You're not staying here by yourself until we catch whoever tried to kill you." He said firmly.

"I'm not going to live my life in fear Clark, if I do that, they win."

"I'm more concerned with keeping you alive than you winning Lois." He said darkly.

"In that case, we need to get this place done so that I can concentrate on finding out what they're actually up to. I can't stay at your place forever Clark."

"What's so wrong with staying with me?" he asked, and she could hear a hint of defensiveness in his tone.

"Nothing, and I really do appreciate it but I need my space Clark, please understand that."

Another silent moment passed and Lois was sure that he was going to argue. But instead he simply nodded and moved away, returning to his job of sweeping the broken glass up. Shaking her head, she concentrated on what she was doing, feeling bad but she didn't want him to think that she was relying on his help. She needed to do this for herself. Besides, this was her home, and she wanted it back.

"Lois?"

_Great, now what?_ She looked up to see him holding something. "Oh my God, my laptop!"

Snatching the shattered item from his hands, she carefully set it down on the coffee table, which surprisingly wasn't broken. The lid was smashed and therefore useless so she just pressed the 'on' button and waited. Relief hit as the screen lit up with the company logo and she quickly typed in her password.

"Obviously they couldn't get into it…" Clark said, just above her shoulder, making her jump and look around, which put her face directly in front of his. Their noses were just barely touching until he cleared his throat and moved back a little. But when he spoke his voice sounded different. "They uh…obviously couldn't figure out your password so decided to just break it instead. Good thing it still works."

"Yeah," she nodded but she was distracted, he was too close. She could smell him, feel him, and it wasn't helping her thought process. She mentally shook herself out of it and tried to concentrate. "I'm not sure how much it will work though."

Just as she said those words, a spark flew up and then smoke started filtering out of the vents at the side. "Oh. Oh my!"

Clark quickly blew on it and extinguished it so there was no danger but she was left feeling even more angry and upset. She heaved out a sigh. "Do you have a computer I could borrow?"

"Sure, but how about we finish up here first and then maybe grab some dinner and head back to my place?"

"Clark…"

He held up his hand, stopping her mid-sentence. "Lois, you can't stay here. And uh…I don't want you to be alone here."

She bit her bottom lip, and then quickly stopped when his eyes followed the action. "I don't know Clark…"

"Lois, I just want to know that you're safe, that's all. And besides, two pairs of eyes are better than one. We can go over all your Intergang stuff, see if there's anything you could have missed or any connections we can find."

Reluctantly she nodded. "Okay, thanks."

Clark watched as she went about throwing her laptop in with the rest of the trash. This wasn't fair, she shouldn't have to live in fear in her own home. But she was right, she probably shouldn't be staying with him for too long. It wasn't good for either one of them. She let out a sigh and got back down on her knees to pick up some more stuff and Clark found himself watching her, the way she moved, how she frowned with a hint of sadness when she found something that was broken and obviously meant a lot to her.

He wanted to catch whoever was responsible for this, he wanted to catch Morgan Edge in the act so that he could take him down. But most of all, he just wanted Lois to be safe. And if he had to _make_ her stay with him until that happened, he would do just that.

Things were a little easier after their talk last night, but truthfully he still held a little resentment towards her. And he couldn't figure out why, it was just there. Like a rock in the pit of his stomach. But he was trying his hardest not to let that show. She didn't need him coming down on her right now. Whatever was going on between them, it could wait until he knew she wasn't going to end up dead. 

* * *

><p>After finishing the takeaway that he'd gotten them later that evening, Clark cleared the dishes away while Lois sat at the table in the kitchen of his apartment, putting all of the stuff on her flash drive onto his laptop. Her apartment was now tidy and as safe as he could get it without welding the door shut. But he could tell that she was apprehensive about leaving it alone.<p>

As he washed the plates, he found himself stealing little glimpses of her working. He'd always loved to watch her when she was immersed in something when they'd been together, how her nose would twitch, and her tongue would sometimes poke out of her mouth in concentration.

But now…it felt different. Strange. He didn't know why though. He felt like he no longer had that right. The right to look at her, study her like he used to. It felt…invasive. It was only when she glanced up and their eyes locked that he looked away.

She stood to get the kinks out of her back and walked around to him, grabbing a cloth and proceeding to dry the dishes as he washed without saying a word.

"You don't have to do that." He said mildly.

"I don't mind. Besides, you fetched dinner so it's the least I can do."

"How close are you?" he asked, nodding towards the laptop.

"It's almost downloaded; I just need to sort through what's useful and what's not. I know there's something there, there just has to be. Why else would they raid my apartment?"

"I don't know. Maybe. But I don't know if it'll be enough to bring down the entire organisation."

"It has to be Clark. Because Melissa needs justice, everyone who has suffered at their hands needs justice."

He noted the way her eyes sparkled with unshed tears as she spoke. She was very passionate about this whole thing. A tiny spark of admiration lit up inside him. She really was a great reporter.

"We'll get it Lois, don't worry."

"Thank you…for your help today. I don't think I could've gotten it all done by myself."

"No problem."

He smiled at her as he reached to put a plate on the rack and she was smiling back, but as she reached for the plate, she grabbed his hand by mistake. Her smile soon faded as she realised and she dropped it like a hot potato.

"Uh…sorry." She mumbled, and went to reach for a different plate, one further away from him.

Something inside him snapped, he couldn't take this…tension anymore so he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him.

Without saying another word his lips came crashing down on hers, and all he could think about was how soft they were. She pressed her hands against his chest and pushed, but when he didn't move she whimpered and that was his undoing.

His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her in even tighter against him and her hands, instead of pushing, started to wind themselves up into his hair. She slowly melted into his body, her lips parting ever so slightly, inviting him in. Cupping the back of her head, he spread his fingers into her soft hair and deepened the kiss, feeling something he hadn't felt in over five years. And it felt…good. Too good.

Then suddenly she wrenched herself away from his lips. "Stop!" she cried out, her breathing heavy and laboured. Her cheeks were flushed and she was even shaking a little. "We shouldn't be doing this Clark."

Trying to speak, he found himself a little short of breath too. "I know. I'm sorry."

She swallowed hard and ran a hand through her hair. "This isn't us anymore Clark. We're not that couple anymore."

"I know." He replied a little more forceful than he would've liked but he didn't like the effect she was still having on him. He'd thought her was over her a long time ago. He wasn't ready to explore the possibility that he wasn't. No, kissing her had been an error in judgement. One he wouldn't make again. "Maybe we should just…"

His gaze drifted back to the laptop, indicating that they should just forget about the kiss and go back to what they were here for. "Yeah, I think we should."

But the feel of his lips pressed against hers was still there, tingling, taunting her. She leaned against the counter as he disappeared into the living room, allowing the brief moment to press her fingertips to her lips. To remember the taste of him. She dropped them as soon as he came back but as she went to move forward, there was a loud crashing sound and then she felt the most blinding pain in her right shoulder.

"Lois!" Clark grabbed her and shoved her to the ground, almost lying on top of her as more glass broke, shattering around them.

When it was over Clark moved his hands and looked down at her, concern etched all over his face. "Are you okay?"

She was too stunned to move, her mind too overtaken by the fact that he was lying on top of her to form any kind of reply.

He shook her hard. "Lois! Are you hurt?"

Slowly she drifted back to reality and shook her head. "I don't think so."

But as he pulled her up she yelled out. Clark looked at the hole in her sweater, the blood seeping out of it just under her shoulder. A little higher and it would've missed her completely. Which was, at the moment, little consolation. "Lois, you've been shot. We need to get you to the hospital."

"Really?" she looked at her shoulder and grimaced. "Wow, that hurts. Who the hell was shooting at me?"

Clark glanced out of the window, using his micro vision as he liked to call it. He couldn't see anything though, the rooftops around him were all clear. The shooter had to have been on one of the opposite buildings. But he couldn't see anyone. He looked back at Lois, saw her wavering a little and the paleness of her face had him sweeping her up into his arms before she could fall. She looked awfully close to passing out.

"Clark…" she whispered.

For a moment their eyes met and he could see the pain in hers. But behind that he saw…fear. One thing he knew about Lois Lane was that she never ever complained, never let how much she was hurting or scared show. Seeing that in her eyes kicked him into gear and he took off fast, heading straight for the hospital. 

* * *

><p>After being examined and then x-rayed and pulled about and stitched front and back, as well as being questioned yet again by the police, Lois was finally allowed to be released. Since the bullet had passed straight through her shoulder, and there was no lasting damage, they'd simply stitched her up and released her into Clark's care. But standing just outside the hospital with her arm in a sling, waiting for Clark to finish his phone call, she began to feel the events of the evening catching up with her.<p>

Unwilling to think about that kiss or what lay behind it, she turned her thoughts to the shooting. Obviously Morgan was moving his attacks up a notch but where on earth would he get a sniper from. Neil had told her that because Clark's apartment was so high up, the only way someone would've seen into it was with a scope from a building directly opposite. That meant someone who was trained. Though he couldn't say for sure, Neil was almost positive that it was a sniper. But forensics would be able to tell them more later. For now, she was free to go home, and that thought didn't exactly fill her with confidence.

Nowhere seemed to be safe anymore.

"Lois?" she turned to face Clark who was watching her with a concerned expression. "You okay?"

She opened her mouth to speak…then closed it again. She had no idea how to respond to that question right now so she just shrugged.

He stepped forward and put an arm around her waist. "Come on let's go."

"Where are we going?"

"Someplace safe."

"Not the farm."

He stopped and looked down at her. "Why not?"

"Just…please, not the farm."

He frowned, wondering why she didn't want to go there. But should he be surprised, of course she wouldn't want to see his parents, not after everything that had happened in the past. But he needed her safe and the farm was the only place he could think of.

"Lois, my parents won't mind and they don't hold grudges."

"They might not, but I do. Please Clark, I will go wherever with you, just not there. Please."

The pleading look in her eyes, as well as the immense tiredness he saw there halted his reply. Instead he nodded and tried to think.

"Okay, we won't go to the farm."

As he took her into his arms, slightly unnerved by the way she just relaxed against him now, he walked around to the side of the hospital.

"Where are we going?" she asked, her voice quiet and muffled slightly by his chest.

"To a friend of mine."

"Does this friend happen to live in Gotham by any chance?" she said, looking up at him and winking.

Clark chuckled. "He does, but it's the safest place I can think of right now apart from my fortress and it's not far from here. We need to stay close but I don't want you in this city right now. It's too dangerous. Lois, they really want you dead."

She knew he wasn't saying it just to scare her, she could see the worry in his eyes. "I know. Which means that I must know more than even I think I do. We need to get your laptop and my notes before we go."

But Clark headed in the direction of the city limits. "No, I'm getting you out of here first, I'm not taking any chances. I'll go back and get all that later once I know you're safe."

Nodding, she snuggled down and tried to enjoy the flight. But the pressure in her shoulder and the events of the evening were weighing her down and before they even reached the edge of the city, she was fast asleep.

**_To Be Continued..._**


	14. Chapter 13

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

"Clark, what happened?" Bruce asked as he came down the stairs, tying his robe. The frown on his face didn't register until Clark realized that he was holding a still sleeping Lois in his arms. Alfred stood next to him, completely silent but he could see the concern evident in his gaze too.

"I need a safe house for the night. Can we stay here?"

"Of course you can, you're always welcome here you know that. Alfred, would you please make up…" he paused as he glanced at Clark, then at Lois. "Two spare rooms."

"Certainly Master Wayne." Alfred nodded and walked past him to climb the stairs.

Bruce moved forward and took a better look at the woman he was holding. "Is she hurt?"

"Someone shot her tonight. In _my_ apartment." Clark said, his voice dark and Bruce just knew that he was blaming himself for this. But truthfully, he'd never seen such anger in his eyes before, it was a little unnerving. But looking at Lois, the black circles under her eyes, the sling and some bruising on her cheek, Bruce couldn't blame him. She certainly looked as if she'd been in the wars enough.

"How did that happen if she was with you?" he asked, regretting his question as Clark's face dropped.

"Something happened...I wasn't exactly thinking clearly at the time. I was in the next room when I heard the window smash." Hmm, there was a lot more in that statement than Clark was telling but Bruce wasn't about to ask.

"Intergang?" he asked, the recent chat he'd had with Xavier coming to mind. Clark nodded and started moving towards the living room. He placed her gently down on one of the plush sofas and ushered Bruce into the hallway again. "Why hasn't she woken up yet?"

"The doctor at the hospital gave her a strong painkiller; I think it pretty much knocked her out on the way over here."

"What the hell has she gotten into Clark? Xavier said he found out about two drug related deaths in Metropolis. Is that Intergang too?"

"It's certainly possible," Clark replied, keeping his attention on the living room. He seemed distracted and Bruce was at a loss for something to say. "I would certainly believe it. Morgan Edge seems to think that Lois knows something. Enough to have her killed anyway."

Bruce nodded, blowing out a large breath. He didn't know Lois personally, but he knew Clark, and for him to be this concerned, it meant something big was happening. And Lois was right in the middle of it.

Bruce crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "I've heard about Lois Lane."

Clark frowned. "I thought you said you didn't know her."

"I don't. I'm talking about Lois the Reporter. I never pieced it together when you asked me about a lawyer for her. But she's tried to get interviews with me before in the past."

"Which you always refused?"

Bruce inclined his head, a small smile playing at his lips. "Naturally. Apparently your Miss Lane has quite a reputation for getting to the truth. Wouldn't work out too well for me would it?"

"She's not _mine_ Bruce." Clark replied, his brow furrowing. His eyes still on the sleeping form in the living room, he kept his voice low. "I don't know if she ever was."

Clearly this was not a subject that should be discussed and Bruce remembered the last time he'd tried to get any information out of Clark about her._ "Lois Lane is not up for discussion."_

At the time he didn't know who she was, it was only now that he'd seen her that he could put a face to the name. Though he'd never actually met her, he knew her by reputation.

"So how long are you going to hide out here?"

"I don't know." Clark sighed, rubbing his hand down his face. "I just need to know that she's safe while I go back and get her files. I don't want her in Metropolis right now, it's too dangerous. In the past two days, she's been pushed off her balcony and shot at."

"Did you go to the police?"

Clark nodded as he turned back to face him. "Yeah, but I don't know how much good it will do."

At Bruce's confused look he said. "Lois believes that some of the cops are on Intergang's payroll. And tonight the detective we spoke to, who I think is actually okay, said that it had to have been a sniper that shot Lois. The buildings around my apartment are high, it would've had to have been someone with training. He's going to check on his end to see if anyone took their weapon out tonight."

"That's a long shot isn't it? It could be anyone, not necessarily a cop."

"True but something about it feels…off. I don't know what it is. I do believe that there are some dirty cops, but Lois also thinks the Mayor's in on it too."

Bruce raised his eyebrows. "The Mayor is working with Morgan Edge?"

"I know it sounds stupid but think about it, how else would Intergang be allowed to fly under the radar so long with whatever it is that they're doing?"

Bruce let out a whistle. "Well, whatever the case, it would appear that Lois Lane has really managed to get on Morgan's bad side."

Clark nodded. "We can't take any chances right now. Listen can you watch her for a while? I just need to go and pick some things up from my apartment and see if Neil's come up with anything."

Bruce nodded but frowned. "Who's Neil?"

"The detective I told you about."

"I'll run a background check on him, just to make sure we can actually trust him."

Clark clapped him on the shoulder as he moved towards the front door again. "Thanks Bruce, I really appreciate this."

"Not a problem, I owe you one remember?"

For the first time since arriving, Clark smiled. "You think this makes us even? Not by a long shot my friend."

"Ah but who's keeping score really?"

Bruce chuckled as Clark left, and headed into the living room. As he poured himself a drink from the bar in the corner, he took a long look at the woman occupying his sofa. Her brown, wavy hair was fanned out across the cushion her head was on and she was lying facing away from him. Oh but she was beautiful, even in her current state, Clark had been holding out on him.

"What the hell happened between you two?" he asked himself, sipping his brandy as he sat down in an armchair next to the sofa. Intrigued and unable to think about going back to sleep, Bruce settled in, content to watch the flames still burning in the fire that Alfred had yet to put out. 

* * *

><p>As Clark flew back to Metropolis, his mind was working in overdrive. Thoughts of Lois wouldn't leave him alone. And that kiss…as much as it had been a mistake, he couldn't regret it. It was like…coming home, her lips so soft and warm, like no time at all had passed between them. But he knew it had, and he was stupid to think otherwise.<p>

Pushing the kiss firmly from his mind, he first stopped off at his apartment to collect her files and his laptop. But as he started to make his way back, he realised she would probably need some more clothes since the ones she was currently in were stained with blood.

Landing in an alley not far from her apartment building, Clark quickly crossed the road and used his super speed on the stairs. Much faster than the elevator and since it was so late no one was around. Well, at least he'd thought not. But as he got to Lois' apartment door, he saw a man standing there, raising his hand to knock.

Clark's eyes darkened for a second, he knew this guy. It was her date from the other night. He couldn't remember his name, Mark or something.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as he walked up to him.

"Where's Lois?" Matt demanded. "I've been calling her but getting no answer."

Clark frowned. "Maybe that's because you took off and told her you wanted nothing more to do with her."

Matt shook his head. "I didn't mean that. I was a little angry. But I've had a chance to think and I don't want to throw away any chance I might have with her. I had a really great time with her and I don't want to give up without at least a fight."

Clark felt his gut churning at the thought of this guy's hands anywhere near Lois. "I don't think she feels the same way Mark."

Matt glared at him. "It's Matt and I don't mean to be rude but I think I'd rather hear that from Lois herself, if you don't mind."

"Actually I do mind. She is still my wife after all." Clark replied, wondering why on earth he was throwing that into the mix.

"Are you two getting back together?"

"Not that it's any of your business but no, I don't think that's going to happen." Clark said, his jaw tightening with each word. And as he spoke, the light in this guy's eyes grew a little more. He really did not like him. What was Lois thinking?

But that was precisely it, wasn't it? It wasn't up to him to figure that out. It really was none of his business. He'd lost the right to any claim on Lois a long time ago. He really needed to start forgetting about her and put his life back together. Move on, as it were.

Matt straightened a little, trying in vain to draw himself a little taller, but even then Clark still had a couple of inches on him. "Look man, far be it from me to get in between anything domestic, but like I said, Lois is pretty...special. I just wanted to know that I could get another chance."

Clark took a moment before answering, staring down at the guy. He didn't trust him, his good looks and charming personality were no doubt what had drawn Lois in the first place but how much did she really know about him?

With a shake of his head, he forced those thoughts out. "I'll relay your message to her if I see her."

Matt's eyes narrowed. "You know where she is don't you?"

"What makes you think that?"

"Because you're here. You're still around even though I keep getting told that you're not together. And from what I saw the other night, she wasn't exactly ecstatic to see you."

_No she wasn't, was she_? Clark reminded himself. But then, he'd had other things on his mind then too.

"Look man, just tell her that I came by to see her and...I'll give her a call. Please?"

Clark nodded but didn't reply, didn't trust himself to. Matt left him standing there, confused and if he was honest with himself, a little angry too. Though why he was angry, he didn't know.

He quickly entered Lois' apartment, and started to fill a bag with some clothes. He paused for a second as he opened her underwear drawer. Pursing his lips, he quickly grabbed a few items and shoved them in the bag. But something caught his eye as he was about to close the drawer.

Frowning, he picked it up and walked over to the lamp to get a better look. His heart stopped for a second as he recognised what it was. The couple in the photograph smiled back at him, looking so happy.

It was a picture from their wedding day.

All their hopes and dreams laid out for all to see as he wrapped his arms around her, with her leaning her head against his.

He remembered that day like it was yesterday, each detail sewn into his mind. She'd looked so beautiful, and the love shining in her eyes had been undeniable. He'd seen it. Now he wasn't so sure that was what he'd been looking at. Had she ever loved him as much as she'd claimed? Or had he just seen it because he refused to believe that she didn't? He just didn't know. He wanted to believe that she had but he couldn't piece it together with what she'd done.

Knowing the details changed some things, but not all. It had lessened his anger at her. But one question bugged him relentlessly. If Lois had truly loved him, why hadn't she just trusted him? And why had she kept this photo?

It didn't feel as if she'd kept it for good memories because it wasn't on display. Instead it was hidden away from view, as if it were some embarrassing secret that she was afraid of anyone seeing. Maybe something she wanted to delete from her past. But then...why keep it at all?

Without really thinking, Clark found himself tracing the outline of her face with his finger, then quickly stopped himself when he felt the pain of her betrayal starting to sting again. It wasn't as sharp as it had been all those years ago, but it was still there.

Taking a deep breath, he put the photo back where he'd found it, then put the laptop and files in the bag with her clothes and headed out of the apartment. 

* * *

><p>"Mr Wayne!"<p>

Apparently Bruce was more tired than he'd realised when he woke to find Lois Lane standing above him with a confused and slightly irritated look on her face.

"Miss Lane," he replied groggily, getting to his feet. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, thank you."

"Where are my manners?" he held out his hand to her. "I'm Bruce Wayne, welcome to Wayne Manor."

She shook his hand but still looked confused. "Where's Clark?"

"He said something about returning to Metropolis for some files. I doubt he'll be long though. Would you like something to drink?"

As he walked over to the bar, he realised she didn't answer him and he turned back to see her standing there as if she had no clue where she was or why she was here. "Miss Lane?"

"Hmm?" she snapped to attention and turned to him. In the glow of the firelight, Bruce was instantly charmed, she really was quite beautiful. And if Clark knew he was thinking that, he would pound him into the ground. Or would he? He had no idea what their relationship was, or if they were together or not.

Clark certainly hadn't been able to take his attention off Lois when they'd arrived here, but then Bruce remembered the anger in his voice, the closed off expression when he'd mentioned her before. Clearly there was a lot going on there that he would do well not to get in the middle of. Shame though, she seemed...intriguing.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Oh I'm fine, I just...well today's been a little overwhelming." she replied, sitting back down on the sofa.

"Can I get you anything?"

"Some water would be nice, thanks."

He took a bottle out of the fridge and poured it into a glass, pouring himself another drink as he did so.

"So...Clark tells me you're in a little bit of a pickle with some not very nice people in Metropolis." he said as he handed her the glass and then returned to his chair.

Her face dropped and for a second she looked...angry. But it passed too quickly for him to judge. "Did he now? Well yes, I am investigating a group called Intergang but it's nothing I can't handle."

Bruce pursed his lips to keep from chuckling. "That sling around your shoulder would seem to suggest otherwise."

She bristled at that and took a sip of her water, but Bruce knew that the action was merely to keep her from saying something she'd regret. From his brief calls with her in the past, he knew enough to know that she was tenacious. A fighter.

And that was something he always admired in a woman. It reminded him of a woman he knew. But before his thoughts could go down that dark path, Lois spoke again.

"I take it Clark has discussed this case with you then?"

"Only so far as to ask for my help in getting you a lawyer. Xavier is conducting his own investigation as we speak."

"Oh." She frowned. "Why did he ask you for help? I mean, it's not like you know me or anything."

Bruce took a second before answering. "Clark is a good person Lois, may I call you Lois?"

She nodded and he continued. "He knew that you were innocent, without even thinking about it. I won't presume to know the details of whatever happened between you two, but clearly he thinks highly of your integrity. He knew you were no killer and he wasn't willing to see you punished for a crime that you did not commit."

"Oh I see. That was all he said about it?"

"Yes Lois, that was all."

She frowned into her drink, seemingly lost in thought. Then she glanced up at him. "How long have you known Clark?"

"A long time. Years."

"How did you meet?"

"He didn't tell you?"

"No. I'm just curious how a farm boy from Kansas meets and becomes friends with a multi billionaire, jet setting, businessman."

Bruce smirked at that. He'd worked hard to put that reputation out there, because while everyone was looking at his behaviour as Bruce Wayne, they weren't looking at his...extracurricular activities.

"Let's just say that Clark and I have a lot in common."

Lois took that in. "I see, so does that mean that you know Clark as much as say...I do?"

Bruce let out a bark of laughter. "I wouldn't quite say that Lois, I was never involved with him. But if you're referring to what he can do and who he really is, then yes I know all about that."

Lois shook her head and frowned. "But how? I just don't get it. Did he save you or something?"

"It's a long story Lois,"

Lois glanced around the large living room. "I don't think I have anywhere else to be right now."

Bruce sighed, weighing up his options, how much of himself did he really want to reveal to her. Should he lie? Or tell her the truth? Clark obviously trusted her but he didn't know if he could do the same.

Before he could figure that out, he needed to know something first. "How long have you known about Clark?"

A pained look crossed her face for a split second, as if remembering something bad before she said. "Since I first met him five years ago."

"So you've know about him all this time and..." he trailed off, unsure of where he was heading but the sudden frosty look on Lois' face told him she had an idea.

"And what? I've known all this time and still haven't sold him out? Used him to get ahead in my career? You listen to me Bruce Wayne, I don't care how much money you have, or how many fancy lawyers you've got dancing to your tune, I won't take that crap. I would _never_ do anything to hurt Clark. His secret has always been safe with me."

Bruce held up his hands. "I believe you Lois. And I apologise if it sounded like I was insinuating anything. But I'm a little confused here. I know nothing of your past with Clark, yet here I am in the middle of something I'm not sure I want to be in the middle of."

"My past with Clark has nothing to do with what's going on right now. Clark's just...he's just protecting me. That's all."

Bruce took a moment to think about that. Maybe she was right, but from the way Clark had been acting, he didn't believe it was simply that cut and dry. Something else was lying just under the surface with these two, and he found himself wondering when it would all come to a head.

"So?" Lois pressed after a few moments of silence. This guy was worse than Clark to get an answer out of and he could certainly pull off the dark, brooding look with ease. Maybe it wasn't so strange that they were friends.

"So?"

Lois sighed. "You were going to tell me how you and Clark met."

"I was?" Bruce shook his head, deciding that discretion was best in this situation. After all, she was a reporter, whatever loyalties she had to Clark didn't extend to him and he had to be careful. He'd worked too hard to lose it all now. "I think I'll let Clark fill you in on the details."

"Very clever Mr Wayne." Lois said with a knowing smile.

"What?"

"You know very well that Clark's code of honour won't allow him to tell even me a secret. He protects those he cares about."

"Lois, there really isn't anything to it, we met, became friends, end of story."

"Sure okay. Just know that as a reporter, asking questions is in my blood and I will eventually find out."

Bruce chuckled and took another sip of his drink. "I'm sure you will Lois. But in the meantime, why don't we talk about your current situation?"

"What's to talk about? I have a price on my head and I intend to find out what Intergang are up to so that I can expose them all and bring them down."

"Well there is that. But there's also a matter of what Xavier has reported back to me."

That perked her interest. She leaned forward slightly. "What did he find out?"

"Just that there's been two drug related deaths in that area in the past week."

"Two? I knew of one but..." Lois shook her head. Two? What could that mean? Intergang had to be involved somehow, but how was it killing people?

"The latest one was found earlier tonight. Same cause of death as the first apparently, which is interesting." Bruce said, standing to walk over to a desk to retrieve a file that Xavier had sent him.

"What's that?" Lois asked as he handed it to her.

"Xavier's findings. Apparently the medical examiner can find no true cause of death. It's obvious that it was an overdose but from what substance, they can't tell."

Lois browsed the files, frowning deeper as she turned each page. "This has gotta be Morgan's doing. It has to be, it's too coincidental."

"Exactly what I was thinking."

"I need to get back to Metropolis." she said, standing suddenly.

"What? Why?"

"I need to do a little snooping and I can't do that from here."

"Lois, Clark brought you here to keep you safe, he's trusting me to..."

Lois glared down at him. "To what? Babysit me? Sorry Bruce but I don't need taking care of."

"You know he's not just going to let you go walking into Morgan's offices and start snooping around. You've had two attempts made on your life already."

Bruce could see that his point had hit home because she faltered and chewed nervously on her bottom lip. "I know that. But this is too important."

"Lois this is too dangerous, at least wait for Clark to go with you. He can get you in and out without making a sound."

_True_, Lois thought. _Damn!_ She hated when other people were right. Still she wasn't going to take it lying down. That wasn't her style. "So then I guess I'm under house arrest." she said, sending him her best glare. Surprisingly, he didn't even flinch let alone back down. That was a new one on her.

"If you want to put it that way but I'd prefer to call it, taking a break from reality for a little while." He stood up to face her. "Come on Lois, you're much safer here than in Metropolis right now. And Clark is only trying to help, which means you'll get this case wrapped up a lot faster with him on board."

"I know that but..."

"What? This is your story? You don't share bylines?" he laughed.

Lois tipped her chin up defiantly. "Actually no, I don't. I work alone. But that's not what I was going to say."

Bruce's eyes twinkled in the firelight. Flames dancing in the brown orbs. "Or is it just Clark you don't want to work with?"

Silently seething that he was heading in the right direction, Lois folded her arms. "That's really none of your business Mr Wayne. Look I'm tired, do you mind if I go back to sleep now? Or do you have more questions?"

"Nice diversion ma'am." he chuckled. "Follow me, Alfred has already made up a room for you."

When she hesitated, he smiled. "I'm just going to show you to your room, I promise I don't bite Lois."

With a steely glare, she stepped past him, muttering. "You might not, but I do."

Bruce silently laughed as he somehow ended up following her. Oh Lois Lane was certainly a treat. It was refreshing to have someone tell him how it is. 

* * *

><p>When Clark returned to Wayne Manor almost an hour later, there was no one around. "Bruce? Alfred?" he called as he checked the living room, only to find it empty.<p>

"Ah good evening Master Kent. Master Wayne had to step out for a few minutes." Alfred said, appearing in the doorway. He was good, Clark thought, he hadn't even heard him coming.

The look on Alfred's face told him exactly what Bruce had stepped out for. "Does he need any help?"

"No, I'm sure he doesn't Sir. Just a quick errand he said."

"What kind of errand requires Batman?" Clark said, his lips curving into a small smile.

"Your guess is as good as mine Sir, you know Master Wayne likes his secrets. Almost as much as you do."

Clark let out a chuckle. "Yeah I guess you're right. Uh...so where's Lois?"

"Oh she's already asleep in her room, would you like me to show you to yours?"

"No it's okay Alfred thanks, I need to go and check in on Lois anyway, there's something I need to talk to her about."

Alfred nodded and politely left, leaving Clark to climb the stairs, wondering how on earth he was going to bring the subject of Matt up with Lois. Or whether he even should.

As he reached her room, he knocked on the door but the steady breathing he could hear from inside told him she was asleep. He stepped inside quietly and stood at the end of the bed, wondering what to do. Should he wake her? Tell her what was churning him up inside? No, she needed her rest. She looked awful.

A soft, almost imperceptible, whimper escaped from her lips and before he knew what he was doing, he was sitting down on the bed beside her, his hand slowly reaching forward to brush some hair away from her forehead. The moonlight coming in through the window gave her skin a cool glow, making her look...beautiful. He supposed she would always be that way to him.

Sighing softly, his withdrew his hand and stood up, but just as he turned away her hand shot out and grabbed his. He looked back to see her staring at him with wide eyes.

For the longest moment, neither spoke, the air thickening with silence. Then she spoke, and the sound was...it was beautiful. "Don't go."

It was only a whisper, but Clark felt it right down to his bones. "Lois I..."

"Please Clark. You can be mad at me tomorrow, but don't go."

Glancing around the room, Clark thought he could probably sleep in one of the chairs but then he felt her tug on his hand. "Stay with me."

"That's not a good idea Lois."

"I'm not asking for anything Clark, I just don't want to be alone. Please."

Emotions wrestled inside him, making him want to say no, leave the room and her alone. But something made him stop. He couldn't just walk away. Not anymore. The vulnerable look in her eyes wouldn't allow him to. So he nodded slightly and moved to the other side of the bed.

She turned over to face him as he climbed on top of the covers. "What did you find?" she asked.

"We can talk about it tomorrow." he replied gently. "Sleep, you look exhausted."

She nodded and continued to stare for a few moments. But then her eyes slowly closed and it wasn't until he heard her breathing return to normal that he let out a breath and relaxed.

What was he doing? He shouldn't be here. But looking at her face, the way her eyelids softly fluttered and the bruise on her cheek, he knew he couldn't be anywhere else either. These conflicting emotions, of wanting to be there and not wanting it too were really starting to irritate him.

So he settled into his pillow for what he knew was going to be a long night ahead.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	15. Chapter 14

**_Previously On Healing Wounds..._**

_"What did you find?" she asked._

_"We can talk about it tomorrow." he replied gently. "Sleep, you look exhausted."_

_She nodded and continued to stare for a few moments. But then her eyes slowly closed and it wasn't until he heard her breathing return to normal that he let out a breath and relaxed._

_What was he doing? He shouldn't be here. But looking at her face, the way her eyelids softly fluttered and the bruise on her cheek, he knew he couldn't be anywhere else either._

_So he settled into his pillow for what he knew was going to be a long night ahead._

* * *

><p><strong><em><span>Chapter Fourteen<span>_**

Morgan Edge smiled as Bruno entered his office. "Good morning Bruno."

Bruno paused by the open door and frowned. "Uh…good morning? Why are you so chipper?"

Morgan raised his hand and indicated for Bruno to sit in the chair opposite his desk. Only when he was seated, did he begin. "I just got a call from the Mayor."

"Oh?"

"Yes, apparently the coroner is signing off the two deaths as a drug overdose but the exact nature of the drug is unknown. They're clueless. Which means…"

Bruno nodded in understanding, a small smile starting to creep up on him. "Which means the meteor rock is…?"

"Undetectable. Which is good news." He said, clapping his hands together.

Bruno frowned. "The police will still be sniffing around here though."

"Doesn't matter, they won't find anything. And if they do, well…our associate will take care of it. We can go ahead."

Conflicting emotions ran through Bruno. "I'm not sure that's a good idea. We still don't have the right mix. Do we really want to risk more people dying?"

"Did you not hear me? It can't be traced back to us. The more we stall on this, the more money we lose and I don't intend to retire with a meagre amount Bruno. I want it all."

"I know but a lot of people could die."

Morgan shrugged. "Then I guess that's the price they pay for searching for that perfect hit. I'm not forcing this thing down children's throats Bruno. Those who know of it and want it, will get it and let's face it, after the recent success-"

"Where another person died." Bruno interrupted, not caring that Morgan's face quickly changed as he did.

"But several others experienced a rush that they didn't even know was possible. And it had none of the side effects that the normal stuff being sold around here does. I'm doing them a favour."

"By killing them?"

"It's far too late in the game for you have a conscience Bruno and I won't tolerate your attitude much longer." Morgan's anger was usually slow to appear but once it did, you wanted to get out of the way and fast. "You've messed up enough with this Lane woman, I assumed you would have that fixed by now. But I suppose you've come to tell me that she's still alive?"

Bruno nodded reluctantly. "She's disappeared, I can't find her. No one seems to know where she is."

"Did she check in with her boss?"

Bruno shook his head. "No, our informant told me that she's on leave from the Planet until she's no longer a person of interest in Melissa's murder."

The frown on Morgan's face deepened. "Which I'm guessing is more and more likely now that she's had what…two attacks in a matter of days? You're basically making her a victim now."

Bruno shrugged, knowing it would irritate Morgan further but he was starting to tire of this whole thing. "Lois Lane knows nothing boss. We didn't find anything of real interest on us in her apartment. She knows very little if not nothing. If she did, it would've been front page news long ago. But don't worry..." he stood up to leave. "Once I find her, I'll make sure things are taken care of."

Morgan stepped up real close, keeping the unnerving eye contact and Bruno wanted to look away. He wasn't afraid of _him_ exactly, it was just that this man had a lot of power and it would take a mere click of his fingers to make Bruno disappear for good.

"Be sure that you do. I gave you your final chance last time you messed this up, but I can't afford to lose you now, not when we're so close." Morgan stepped back and returned to his chair behind his large desk. "Keep working on the formula, we're close. I can feel it."

Bruno didn't reply as he left the room, he simply closed the door softly behind him. Once outside he took out his cell phone and dialed.

"I'm busy, what do you want?" A brusque tone said on the other end.

"Lois Lane has vanished, seemingly without a trace."

The man sighed. "I'm working on it. I'll find out where she is."

"You have until six."

"I need more time." It wasn't a request, it was a demand and it irritated Bruno a lot. "I will find her, just wait for my call."

"You seem to be under the illusion that I work for you, not the other way round. Don't forget that I can bury you and your little career, not to mention the one that you want so badly too."

There was a silent pause for a moment. "I'll call you at six." Then the phone went dead.

* * *

><p>Lois opened her eyes slowly, blinking against the bright light of the morning sun. It streamed in through a gap in the curtains, hitting her pillow so that she had to shift her head to avoid it. The action brought her closer to the person lying next to her. Breathing in, then out slowly, she looked at him. Trying hard not to feel the disappointment that seeing him with his back turned to her caused.<p>

Clark must've turned over during the night, he was still fully clothed and still on top of the covers. Almost instinctively her hand reached out but she stopped just an inch away from touching his back. He was still asleep and she didn't want to wake him yet. Their awkward dance could wait a few more minutes.

Instead she pulled back the covers and got out of bed, heading to the en suite bathroom. As she began to wash up, she took a look at her surroundings. This was one of the smallest rooms in the manor yet this bathroom was bigger than her living room. The tub alone looked like it could easily fit six people. Maybe more. She snorted, _oh how the other half live_.

She finished up and moved to open the door, pausing to mentally prepare herself. Clark would probably be awake by now. Closing her eyes, she drew in a deep breath, released it and opened the door. To her surprise he was still in the same position she'd left him in so she kept herself occupied by turning her phone on to check her messages.

There was a text from Perry, asking how and where in the heck she was. Smiling, she sent him a reply but the smile soon faded when she saw she had six missed calls and two voicemails from Matt. Why on earth was he calling her? She hadn't seen or heard from him since their ill-fated date.

Glancing at the sleeping figure on the bed, she knew now that her attraction for Matt would never have gone anywhere. There was really only one person who could ever hold her heart. It was just a shame he no longer felt the same way, she reflected sadly. Shaking her head, she dispelled those thoughts and dialed her voicemail.

_"Hey Lois, it's Matt. Listen I'm getting a little worried here. You haven't returned any of my calls and I know we left things in kind of a…weird place but your husband showing up just threw me. I didn't know how to react. I'll admit that I was a little angry, I thought you'd been playing me. But I had time to reflect and I know that you would never do something like that. So this is me, asking for another chance, if you'll give me one. I had a great time with you, and I'd really like to…"_

The beep signalled the end of the message, obviously he'd run out of time. Lois stared at her phone, wondering where that had come from. He'd certainly seemed sure enough when he'd told her he never wanted to see her again. She hit the next message and sat down on the bed to listen.

_"Hey, me again. I got cut off. Anyway, all I really wanted to say was that I…like you. A lot. And I want a chance to see you again. I'll understand if you say no. But I need to hear from you Lois. No one I've spoken to has seen you around, Perry said you were on leave but wouldn't tell me where you'd gone. I'm just worried about you that's all. So yeah…give me a call when you get this. Please Lois. Bye."_

He did sound pretty desperate to talk to her. But why? She decided against calling him, choosing instead to send a quick text message letting him know that she was fine and would call him when she was back at work. Who knew how long it would be until then.

A shift in the mattress alerted her to Clark waking up before he spoke. But the morning rasp in his voice was so mesmerising, she had to keep her back to him for a moment.

"Morning Lois."

"Good morning. Sleep well?" she replied after getting her emotions in check. She stood and turned to face him, wanting badly to smooth his ruffled bed hair down.

"Surprisingly well actually. How's the shoulder?"

"Hmm?" She'd actually forgotten about it until now. "Oh it's fine, stings a little but I've had worse."

Clark's eyebrows rose. "Worse than a bullet going through your shoulder?"

She shrugged. "All in a day's work." When he frowned, she added. "No, not worse but this is fine, honestly."

The way he looked at her, as if seeing right into her soul unnerved her but the concern in his eyes as they moved to her shoulder was evident. Clark cared a lot about people, it was how he'd been raised, but this…it seemed different.

It seemed like he did genuinely care that she was okay. _Which isn't a shock Lois_, she told herself. _The guy came back to protect you_. True, but he was also still a little angry with her. She could feel it. She just wished she knew what to do about it. Bringing up the past again would solve nothing, and would only make things worse between them again.

"So…you didn't tell me what you found last night." She prompted, unsure of what else to say.

Clark swung his legs off the side of the bed and sat up. Something shifted in his expression as he spoke. "I went by your place to get some things for you. They're in that bag over there along with the laptop and files."

Looking to the chair he was pointing at, Lois walked over and started to go through it. She was in need of a change of clothes. It was just like Clark to remember the small things. _Don't read anything into it Lois. They're just clothes. _An unwelcome thought crossed her mind. _Oh no!_

"Uhh Clark? Did you go through my things?"

He stood up to face her, his expression blank, telling her nothing. "No. I just grabbed what I could see."

"Oh, okay. Thanks." Her relief was short lived though.

"So I ran into your boyfriend."

Her head jerked up and so did her eyebrows. "Boyfriend?"

"The charming Matt I met the other night. He was at your apartment last night."

"Why?"

Clark gave her a look that made her feel stupid for asking. "To see you. Apparently he's worried about you."

She sighed. "I know, he left me two voicemails today."

Clark frowned. "Did you tell him you were here?"

Ignoring the accusatory tone, she shook her head. "Of course not. I haven't told anybody except Perry and that's only because he worries about me."

"Okay then, keep it that way. You're safer here than in Metropolis."

He was about to turn away and for a moment she panicked. She didn't want him to get the wrong idea. She grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Clark…there's nothing between me and Matt. You know that right?"

He looked down at her hand on his arm, and she felt a brief jolt of hope when he gently covered it with his own. But he slowly moved it away and dropped his hand back down to his side. "Lois, your love life is your business. You don't owe me any explanations."

His tone was gentle, but his eyes told her he was lying. "Clark, I'm not saying this because I owe it to you. There really is nothing between us. I haven't seen or heard from him since our date. You know, the one you crashed?"

One corner of his mouth tilted up into a half smile. "Yes, I remember. The problem is, I don't think he knows that."

"What do you mean?"

"He wants another chance with you. Says he really likes you."

Lois shook her head. "Well he's not going to get one. I'm not interested anymore. I only agreed to go out with him because he was nice and I hadn't dated in such a long time and…"

Hearing her talk like that, wondering who else she'd seen in the last five years made him feel angry. "Maybe you should tell him that. Or were you going to string him along too?"

His words brought a sharp gasp out of her and he instantly regretted it when her eyes clouded over with unshed tears. But the strong-as-ever Lois quickly masked it. She squared her shoulders and even though she tried to hide it, he saw that it caused her pain.

"I'm sorry Lois. I didn't mean that."

"I think maybe you did." She countered. "You still think, after everything I told you, that I strung you along! That I wanted to leave you!"

"No I…"

She poked him in the chest, her own anger starting to rise. "I can't believe you would think that I was stringing you along. I loved you. I meant every damn word of the vows I took."

"Then why did you break them so easily?" He shouted back.

"I had no choice!" Her voice was getting louder, her face turning slightly red.

"You never came back!" He yelled. "Even after you knew what your father had done, you stayed away and never returned!"

"Yes I did!"

The instant the words were out her eyes went wide and silence descended upon them, the only sound in the room was that of their heavy breathing.

"What do you mean?" he asked after a moment, his voice quiet.

"Nothing, I shouldn't have said that. I didn't mean anything by it." She went to turn away but he grabbed her uninjured arm, pulling her back to face him.

"No, you don't get to say that and not tell me what you meant. I knew you were still hiding something, that you didn't tell me the full story."

"Clark…"

"You came back? When?"

She sighed, pulling herself away from him. "It doesn't matter anymore."

"It matters to me!. When did you come back? Before or after I left."

She squeezed her eyes shut and whispered. "Before. But your father…"

"What Lois?" He urged. "What did my father do?"

The fear in his voice made her cringe. She really hadn't wanted to tell him. Biting her bottom lip, she looked into his eyes. Fear mingled with anger but behind that she saw the vulnerable farm boy she'd seen so many years ago after he'd returned home. His parents meant the world to him, she didn't want to see that fall apart.

"Lois…" He grabbed her hands in his, holding them to his chest, moving in closer to her. "Tell me, please. I need to know."

"The day I left…" she started, swallowing hard to remove the lump that had risen in her throat. "While you were gone, your father had a little chat with me. He told me again how we were too young to be married, asked what we were going to do when we had to get jobs and live in the real world. I told him that as long as we had each other, it didn't matter."

She felt his muscles tense under her hands but she couldn't stop now. He was right…he needed to know the whole story. "But then my father showed up and like the whirlwind that he is, took over the situation. After I left and I found out what he'd done, he told me how he'd found me in Smallville."

Clark drew in a deep breath. "My father called him?"

She nodded, smoothing her palm across his chest, right over his heart. "I'm sorry Clark."

Clark shook his head. "But you said…what happened when you came back?"

"I was so angry at my father for what he'd done so I took some time for myself, to get my head straight. But after a month or so I really needed you so I decided to return to Smallville. I was so scared, I didn't know how you were going to react, or if you even still wanted me around."

"Lois…" The slight crack in his voice made her raise a finger to his lips to stop him talking. She needed to get this all out in the open.

"When I got to the farm, you weren't there. I don't know where you were but your father answered the door. He was more than a little shocked to see me I can tell you."

Clark's grip on her hand got tighter.

"I asked if you were home, he said no." She swallowed. "He told me you'd left town. That you'd gone away."

"He said that?" Clark sank down onto the bed, taking her with him. "I don't understand…"

"I never wanted you to know this Clark." She whispered.

But he wasn't listening, his mind already trying to figure out the details. "You said about a month after you left?"

She nodded. "Give or take a few days."

"I left for my training the following week. My parents knew I was going." His eyes widened. "Was my mom there?"

"No, she was out somewhere too. It was just me and your father. And I never got closer than the back door. After he told me you were gone, I asked where. He said that you wouldn't be back for a long time and that I should just move on with my life. I'd already caused you enough pain and it was time to let things go."

Clark drew in a shaky breath, making her feel worse. She cupped his cheek with her hand and stared into his eyes. "I never wanted to tell you this Clark. I'm so sorry."

"Why would you keep something like this from me? I've been so mean to you…"

The tears in his eyes broke her heart. "_This_." She said, wiping a fallen tear from his cheek. "This is why I didn't want to tell you. I know how much your father means to you. Just because mine betrayed me didn't mean you had to know that yours did too."

"But he did."

"No Clark. He loves you, he only wanted what was best for you. I can see that now. At the time, it hurt…but I know it came from good intentions. He saw the pain I'd put you through and as a loving parent should, he wanted to protect you from anymore. I guess I've always held resentment towards him for it but even I know that he did the right thing."

"How can you say that? If I'd known…"

"What?" She asked softly. "How would things have been different?"

"We could've worked it out. I spent so long hating you Lois. Hating you and loving you at the same time tore me apart."

In that moment Lois felt a kind of clarity wash over her. There was a lot of pain and betrayal in their past but they were both here, both hurting but healing at the same time. And she knew, somehow, that they could get past this if they really tried. She wasn't going to give up.

"Clark…"

"You could've stopped all this." He said and for a moment she was wondering if he was blaming her. But his expression softened as he gazed into her eyes. "Everything I said to you when I found you again…you could've told me this then. But you didn't."

"Your relationship with your dad is important Clark. I know how much you love him. I never ever wanted to come between that."

Clark raised his hand and touched her cheek. "He still shouldn't have done it."

"Maybe not, but I can understand why he did. The difference between your father and mine was that he did it because he loved you. My father was too afraid of me messing up my life but it wasn't about protecting me."

"I'm sorry Lois."

"Don't be, I came to peace with it a long time ago. I don't talk to him but he still sends birthday cards."

"No, I mean for what I said to you. I'm sorry."

She put her hand over his. "You have nothing to apologise for. Believe me. I think we've both done enough of that now. We just need to get past it and we'll be fine."

"Will we?"

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know where we go from here Lois." He dropped his hand, his expression turning thoughtful. "I found your picture."

"What picture?"

"The one you keep hidden in your drawer. Our wedding photo."

"Oh…"

"Why did you keep it?"

She could tell him that she'd forgotten about it years ago, but she wanted to be honest. "Why would I get rid of it? You were my husband, even if I wasn't with you, I still loved you."

He fell silent, staring at her, his eyes searching hers. Slowly he leaned in, pressing his lips to hers gently. She pulled back, knowing this wasn't the right time, that he was hurt and needed time to process everything. But he stopped her. Rubbing his thumb over her cheek, his eyes begged her not to walk away. To not leave him…again.

"Oh Clark…" His head swooped down again, his mouth claiming hers. All thought ceased and Lois just let herself feel. It had been so long since she'd felt his arms around her. The press of his mouth, only a tease last night, was now reminding her of everything she'd given up five years ago. And she couldn't turn away now even if she wanted to.

Gently, taking care not to hurt her shoulder, Clark pressed her down onto the mattress, with him lying over her. His mouth moved to her jaw, kissing his way down her neck to that spot he somehow still knew would drive her crazy for him. Nibbling at the part where her neck met her shoulder, Clark moved the collar of her t-shirt out of the way. Her hands clawed at his back, up under his shirt and she felt the muscles rippling beneath her touch.

He stopped kissing her and raised his head, staring down at her, his eyes asking the question she knew was coming. Slowly she nodded and he smiled as he helped to divest her of her clothes and his.

Before she knew it they were naked, his chest pressed to hers as he kissed her again, skin against skin. She shuddered as he trailed his kisses down to her breasts, only Clark could make her this hot.

She could feel the heat rising between them, threatening to overwhelm her so she pushed against his chest, and he got the hint. Rolling over she straddled his lap as he lay on his back. Smoothing her hands over his chest, she marvelled at how the muscles and flesh felt. Steel covered in silk. His skin was so soft. She leaned down and pressed her lips to his chest, feeling his sharp intake of breath as she did.

"Lois…" The urgency in his voice echoed her own growing need for him. With their eyes connected, she descended her body to meet his, his hands around her waist helping her.

After a few moments she began to move, every nerve in her body felt like it was on fire. She couldn't remember the last time they'd made love, the pain of their past had taken that memory from her. But here, now…everything came flooding back.

Clark flipped them over so he was once again on top of her. Moving slowly he never once took his eyes off hers, his hand kept caressing her cheek as if he were afraid she'd disappear on him.

That would never happen, Lois decided.

As both their worlds collided, Lois cried out his name and Clark collapsed against her, his head resting on her good shoulder.

Both breathing heavily, Lois smoothed the hair down at the nape of his neck, knowing that somehow they needed to talk about this. But not now.

Now she just wanted to lie in his arms and feel, to forget every bad thing that was going on in her world right now and lose herself in him.

But she would fight somehow. For him, she would not give up.

**_To Be Continued..._**


	16. Chapter 15

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait everyone, it's been a really busy month so far. But it's starting to tail off now so hopefully I can get to updating a little faster. Anyways, enjoy :D**

* * *

><p><strong><em><span>Chapter Fifteen<span>_**

Lois' eyes slowly fluttered open later that morning and even though she was exhausted and her shoulder was throbbing, she couldn't stop the smile on her face. Stretching slowly, muscles aching in all the right places, she reached a hand out beside her. Only to find a cold, empty space. Frowning she leaned up on one elbow, her eyes searching the room, ears straining for any sounds of where Clark might be.

After a few minutes she felt her light, breezy mood begin to dissipate. He was gone. And judging by the lack of warmth in the bed next to her, he'd been gone for some time. Had he slipped out early? Did he regret what they'd done? She shook her head, refusing to believe that.

Still she couldn't assume that everything was now okay between them just because they'd slept together. He'd been pretty upset last night and all she'd wanted to do was comfort him. Again she swore at herself for revealing the truth. It was better for him to hate her at least a little bit than for her to come between him and his father.

Feeling a little less joyful now, she slipped out of bed, quickly got dressed, and went in search of the only thing that could perk her up right now. Coffee. When she finally found the kitchen she saw Bruce sitting at a table in front of some patio doors.

"Good morning Lois." He said without looking up from his paperwork.

"Morning. Wow," she said looking over at him. "What a view." Outside the patio doors lay a vast garden filled with every kind of flower she could imagine and trees everywhere she looked.

"Why thank you. Oh you meant the garden." He said with a wink. "That's James' area of expertise." When she frowned he smiled. "He's the gardener."

"Oh yes, gotcha."

Chuckling he put down his paper. "Coffee's ready, I assume that's what brought you down here. Are you hungry?"

"Not really," she replied, reaching for the pot.

He frowned. "It's almost lunchtime Lois, I haven't seen you eat anything since you got here. You should eat something."

"Honestly, I'm not that hungry. I'll just grab this and be out of your way."

He put his paperwork back into his briefcase and closed it. "No need. I like the company, keeps me from my thoughts."

"You mean you have more than one?" she smirked. "Shocker."

He threw another wink at her and stood up, tightening his tie before adjusting his jacket. "So how's the shoulder?"

"It's okay…throbs a little but nothing I can't handle."

He watched as she took a sip of her coffee, smiling as she savoured the taste. When she opened her eyes he was still smiling. "What?"

"Oh nothing, I've just never seen someone enjoy caffeine so much before."

"Trust me, some days this is all that gets me going in the mornings."

"Oh?" he asked, eyebrow raised. "Lots of late nights for Miss Lane?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes actually but not for the reasons your sordid mind is conjuring."

She chuckled as he put a hand to his chest in a wounded gesture. "I would never assume such a thing."

"Uh huh, I'm sure. Anyways, have you seen Clark this morning?"

"Yes actually, but he left in a bit of a hurry about an hour ago. I just assumed he had an emergency."

From the way Bruce was looking at her, Lois got the feeling he knew more than she wanted him to. "What did he tell you?"

"Me? Nothing. When it comes to you Miss Lane, Clark Kent is a closed book."

She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. But Bruce was obviously not an idiot, he'd picked up on whatever it was going on between them. "Well he's always been a private kind of guy."

Bruce nodded. "I can appreciate that. Sometimes secrets are necessary in life."

Lois frowned. "Even from the people you love?"

A dark look crossed over his face, leaving Lois wondering what on earth could've been so bad to cause the kind of pain she was seeing. But then as quickly as it appeared, it was gone and in its place was a smile. One that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Listen to me Lois, I know it's not my place and I don't know what's going on with you and Clark, but he's one of the few good friends that I have. I don't want to see him get hurt."

"I wouldn't…" he held up his hand to stop her.

"I also would not like to see you hurt either. So whatever it is, fix it. If there's a way…fix it. Because you don't know what's around the corner."

Lois leaned forward and covered his hand with hers. "What happened to her Bruce?"

Her question surprised him, but he shook his head and stepped away from the counter. "It's not important. It was a long time ago."

Softly Lois added. "Did she at least have a name?"

Bruce looked at her for the longest time and she thought he was never going to speak. He grabbed his briefcase and moved towards the door. Eventually he cleared his throat. "Rachel…her name was Rachel."

* * *

><p>Clark landed softly on the ground next to his old barn. It had been a while since he'd been in there. He went inside and climbed the steps to his loft and gasped. Everything was as he'd left it the day he left for his training. Back then his anger and feeling of betrayal had almost taken over his life, he knew he had to move on but it wasn't as easy as people thought.<p>

Crossing over to his old desk, he picked up a frame. The glass was shattered, the corners smashed. But the photo inside was still in good condition. He remembered throwing this, the day Lois had left. He'd sat on that couch, clutching that frame wondering why she'd just...gone. And after a while he'd grown so angry that he couldn't bear to look at it anymore and thrown it across the barn. His mom or dad had obviously picked it up and put it back here.

As he stared at the smile radiating from his then new bride, his frown deepened. Well it wouldn't have been his father who'd put it back, he'd been determined from the start to destroy his happiness with Lois. No, it had to have been his mom.

He heard footsteps coming closer just as his father's head popped into view. "Hey son, I thought I saw you come in here."

"I was just…" Clark trailed off, not knowing what to say. Seeing his father made him angry, yet he couldn't express it. For some reason, he couldn't let it out.

"You haven't been in here since you left for your training." Jonathan said, tucking his hands into his jeans pockets as he glanced around the room. He smiled wistfully. "There's a lot of memories up here Clark."

"You kept it all the same. Why?"

Jonathan frowned at the tone of Clark's voice. "Because this is your home Clark, we always want you to feel that you can come back here anytime. This barn, it was your sanctuary for a long time."

"I don't need it anymore."

"Maybe not, but your mother and I couldn't change it. Keeping it like this…" he said, running his hand over the beam of wood leading to the staircase. "It sort of kept you with us in a way. Your mother would spend hours in here after you first left, just sitting and looking at photos. I think it was good for her."

Clark didn't know how to process that at the moment. So many things were going through his head, this morning, Lois, her secrets, the lies. Everything. "And you?"

"Me?" Jonathan frowned.

"Did you sit in here looking at photos?"

"I sat with your mother sometimes yes. But I understood why you needed to leave, I knew that day was coming so it wasn't a surprise."

Clark scoffed. "You understood. Of course you did." Clark put the frame back down on the desk and turned around to face his father head on.

"What does that mean? Is something wrong son?"

"You tell me."

"I don't understand…"

"Tell me why you did it." There. It was out. And with it came the anger that Clark was barely keeping inside. "Tell me why you ruined the best part of my life."

Jonathan paled, his mouth falling open before he composed himself and moved closer. "Clark, I don't know what Lois has told you but I only had the best of intentions…"

"You called her father! You let her stay here, talked to us every day for weeks and you still went and called her father on us."

"Don't you think he had a right to know what his daughter was doing?"

"You make it sound like she had some sort of plan. We got married Dad, both of us, we _both_ wanted it."

"I realise that, but you were so…"

"Don't you dare say we were so young. I've heard that so many times I'm sick of it. Do you know what he did to her? After you called him?"

Jonathan's face grew paler, if that was possible. "He didn't hurt her…?"

"No, of course not. Well, not physically at least. He told her he was sick, that he needed her to go with him. And she had no choice." Clark stepped closer to his father, his anger intensifying over what Lois had told him. What her father had done to her.

"She could've chosen to stay Clark, I'm sorry she left son but I felt that her father deserved to know that his teenaged daughter was married."

"She couldn't stay Dad, because when she was five, her mother died of cancer. Her own father told her he was sick to get her away from here, away from me. Once he succeeded she found out that he was lying."

"He lied about being sick to his own daughter?"

"No, but he let her believe that he was terminally sick when he wasn't."

Jonathan took a moment to absorb that information, shaking his head. "I never knew that."

"Why would you? As soon as she was gone you were happy. My wife walked away from me and that made you happy."

"No Clark! I just didn't want to see either of you throwing your future away on something that happened too fast."

Clark shook his head, amazed that after all this time his father still didn't get it. "It may have happened fast Dad, but I married Lois because I was in love with her. No other reason. And that is still not a good excuse for what you did."

Jonathan squared his shoulders, the colour slowly starting to return to his face now. "I did what I thought was best for _my_ son at the time. You _were_ too young Clark! You had your whole future ahead of you…"

"Oh please, you were just scared she was going to sell my secret or expose me. My happiness didn't matter to you."

"How can you say that? You're my son, I only ever wanted…_want_ the best for you. I'm sorry you're angry Clark but I did the right thing. Her father deserved to know."

Clark's anger surged. "Maybe he did, but that wasn't your call to make. That was up to Lois. And afterwards? Did you do the right thing then too?"

Jonathan frowned, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"She came back didn't she? A little while after she left, she came back for me."

Jonathan's eyes widened a little, telling Clark that he remembered exactly what he was saying, but his father soon straightened his expression. "Yes son, she did."

* * *

><p>Lois drained the last of her coffee and placed the mug in the sink. Alfred had come in and asked if she was hungry but the way Clark had just disappeared was eating away at her, she couldn't have eaten anything even if she was.<p>

Heading back to her room, she checked her emails on her phone. Perry, Perry and more Perry but not much else. No new texts and no missed calls. Where was he?

After tidying up her hair as best as she could one handed, she left her room and walked down the hall to Clark's. Alfred had told her he was staying in the room next to hers. After knocking and getting no reply, she slowly entered. The bed was still made, and knowing why made her insides heat a little at the memory. There were some of his clothes hanging on the back of a chair next to the bed. Apart from that, there was nothing to indicate where he'd gone. But she had a horrible feeling she already knew.

Sighing, she turned for the door, stopping when something caught her eye on top of the dresser. She saw her name, written below Clark's on an official document. As she picked it up and started reading, her heart sank.

Divorce papers

.

Pain sliced through her chest, making it hard to take a breath as she sank down onto the bed.

Clark wanted a divorce. And yet, she shouldn't be so shocked. She hadn't even known they were still married when they'd met again. So why should this be such a surprise? What did she think was going to happen? That they'd go back to a happily ever after?

What exactly was she fighting for?

A tear ran down her cheek as she turned to the last page. There, in bold, black ink was Clark's signature. It was dated yesterday. He'd signed these yesterday.

"Oh God…" she whispered, dropping the papers onto the bed next to her. Holding her head in her hands, she allowed a few tears to escape. Had he planned this all along? Did he want her out of his life so badly? No, he came back for her.

But did he? Making sure she was safe was something Clark Kent would do, whether they were married or not. Maybe this was his attempt at closure. A way of finally moving on.

Her cell phone buzzed in her pocket, startling her. Angrily she sighed. Another text from Matt. Why couldn't he just leave her alone? She turned it off and shoved it back into her pocket, glancing at the papers as she did so.

After thinking for a few more moments, she nodded resolutely, grabbed a pen from the bedside cabinet and hastily scrawled her name below Clark's before she could change her mind. This was the right thing to do. Put the past behind them and then maybe, just maybe, they could concentrate on the present.

She put the document into the accompanying envelope and walked down to Bruce's office. Since it was his lawyer's name on the top of the papers, he could pass it on.

Without knocking, she walked in, left it on the desk in his 'Out' tray, and walked out into the beautiful gardens she'd been admiring earlier. Closing her eyes, she let the sun warm her face for a few minutes. This was ridiculous, hiding here when she had things to be doing. Stories to be breaking. She'd hidden away long enough, it was time to take action. Get her life back.

She headed back inside, intending to call a taxi but Alfred was standing just inside the kitchen door, waiting. She suspected he knew what she was thinking.

"Miss Lane, can I help you with anything?"

"Yes actually Alfred, could you please call me a taxi? I want to go back to Metropolis as soon as possible."

"Are you sure that's wise? Master Kent said it's too dangerous."

"I'm aware of how dangerous it is, but if I don't put a stop to this, find out exactly who's behind what, I can never go back to my job. And right now that's all I have left." She grabbed her jacket, but found it difficult to put it on over her sling until Alfred stepped in to help. "Thanks."

"You're very welcome. But I must insist that you stay."

She shook her head, determined to see this through. "No, I need to go now. If you won't call me a taxi, I'll just do it myself."

Alfred held up his hands. "I would be happy to drive you myself Miss Lane."

"No really, that's fine. I don't want to put you out or anything."

"Oh it's no trouble. Master Wayne is gone for the afternoon and I have some spare time on my hands. I'll bring the car around."

Before she could stop him, he disappeared. _Great, just what I need. A spy._

* * *

><p>"Why didn't you tell me?"<p>

Jonathan sighed and sat down on the arm of the sofa while Clark paced back and forth. "Because you were talking about leaving for your training, I knew it was a path that you had to follow. If you knew she was back, you'd never have gone. Don't get me wrong, I liked Lois, I really did. She's a nice girl, but she would've held you back."

Clark drew in a deep breath. "Back from what exactly? How do you know that I wouldn't have gone to Jor-El? How can you know that?"

"I don't. But can you honestly tell me that you would've left your new wife for years to complete your training?"

Clark was stumped on that one. Truthfully there was no way he could know the answer to that. But he liked to think it would've worked out. "I would've found a way."

"Listen son, I watched you grow up, afraid of your abilities, afraid to connect with anyone, even your friends. It scared me to think that one day you might get noticed or someone would take you away from us. That was our biggest fear for you. But as you grew older I realised that you needed to embrace who you are, completely, and you could only do that by doing your training. Accepting that part of yourself."

Clark stopped pacing and looked over at his father. "You told her she was too late. That I was already gone. Knowing how much I loved her, how much her leaving had hurt me, how could you do that? Didn't you think I had a right to know that she'd returned?"

Jonathan stood and walked towards him, his eyes held such conviction. "That was exactly why I decided _not_ to tell you. I was doing what any father would. I was protecting my son from anymore heartache. I had no idea if she was here to stay or not, I didn't ask what her agenda was. I just didn't want to see you more hurt than you already were."

Clark's anger flared for a moment, burning strong as his dad stood before him. All that time, wasted because of their father's lies. "It wasn't your decision! I loved her Dad, and I would've done anything to get her back."

Jonathan nodded solemnly. "I know you did Clark." He drew in a breath, as if he knew his next words were going to be unwelcome. "I guess I blamed her."

Clark's eyes flew to his. "What?"

"Lois. I guess I held some resentment towards her for what she'd done to you. It killed me to see you in pain like that son. Knowing I was part of it didn't help. Your mother was beside herself, not knowing how to help you. But I stand by what I did, because you were, and are, my only concern. I love you Clark, and I will always do my best to protect you. Sometimes that means protecting you from yourself."

Clark's eyes narrowed for a second, but his anger was starting to fade, just a little. His father was right, no one could've known how the future would've played out. Maybe Lois' father would've found her regardless of his dad's call. Maybe he would've gone for his training and things would've been so different when he returned. Maybe he and Lois would've drifted apart after years of separation. A lot of maybes, no actual answers.

He hated what his father had done, but Lois had been right. He had only done it out of love. To protect his child, as any parent should. But it still hurt.

Clark sighed. "You should've told me Dad. I had a right to know that my wife was back."

"Maybe but I couldn't watch you go through that again if she decided to leave a second time. You were so quiet, all the time after she was gone. You never smiled, you did your chores in normal speed. When you do that I know something is bothering you. But you wouldn't talk about it."

Hearing the pain in his father's voice lessened Clark's anger a little more. But he couldn't forgive him, not yet. Everything was happening all at once, Lois was still in danger, threats were still looming and emotions were all over the place. If he got sloppy, his emotions would cloud his judgement and she'd end up hurt, or worse, dead. He needed to focus on one thing at a time.

"I didn't want to talk Dad. I wanted her back. When we were in Metropolis she showed me a different side of myself. One that I never knew existed. It was because of her that I took that ring off. I wanted her to want me for who I was, not for being Kal."

Jonathan stepped a little closer and put his hand on Clark's shoulder. "She's still here Clark. You found her. Is there any chance…?"

Clark shook his head. "I don't know. So much has happened between us, I honestly don't know. I was angry at her for so long."

"But not anymore?"

"No, not anymore. It wasn't her fault. Yes, I wish she'd had the courage to stay and talk things through with me, but I understand her reasons for leaving. Even more so now." He said, throwing his father a glare. Which he sidestepped neatly.

"Maybe you two can work things out. It's clear that there are still some feelings involved."

"How do you know that?"

Jonathan smiled. "Son, you wouldn't be nearly this angry if you were over her."

Clark thought about that, maybe his dad was right. "Maybe."

A few minutes passed in silence, with both men looking at each other. Jonathan squeezed his shoulder. "So…are we okay?"

"I don't know."

"I never wanted to this to hurt you Clark. You know that right?"

"I know, but it still does."

Jonathan dropped his hand and sighed. "I'm sorry Clark. I am. But I did what I had to do. You'll understand one day when you have a child of your own to protect."

Clark scoffed. "Even if I can have children, things with Lois are way too uncertain right now. Speaking of which, I should probably go check on her."

"You do realise that when I mentioned children, your mind went to one person, don't you?" Jonathan asked, walking with Clark to the stairs.

Clark paused with his hand on the railing. "I know. But I don't know how it could work now."

"Give it time son, things will fall into place."

Clark turned around to face his father. "Promise me that you'll never do anything like that again Dad. I don't need your protection anymore, I need you to be on my side."

"Oh Clark, I was always on your side. But I promise to never get involved in your love life again. Okay?"

Reluctantly, Clark nodded and shook Jonathan's outstretched hand. "Good. It's better if you don't."

With a small smile, and feeling a little better, Clark flew off, heading towards Gotham. It was time to make sure Intergang paid for their crimes, and that Lois would be safe. After that, maybe he could concentrate on the reason he'd returned to Metropolis in the first place. Helping people, living his life.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	17. Chapter 16

Okay, I am really sorry for the long wait again everyone. I've been struggling a bit with this story for some reason. But here's the newest chapter. I hope you like it :D

* * *

><strong><em><span>Chapter Sixteen<span>_**

"Lane! Get in here!"

Lois sighed and turned back to walk into Perry's office. She should've known better than to assume that she could walk into the Daily Planet without him knowing. She walked inside and closed the door behind her.

"You yelled?"

Perry stared at her, clearly not amused. Not a good day then, Lois thought. Then again, those were in short supply these days. She took a seat in front of his desk and waited.

Pacing back and forth, Perry looked like a caged tiger. "What the hell is going on Lois? I don't see you for days, you only text that you're safe but nothing else?"

Lois shrugged, an immediate reaction whenever she was around her boss, but she paid for it with the pain shooting through her shoulder. "It's complicated."

"You're telling me! One of my best reporters is out of action at a time when one of the biggest stories is breaking loose out there!"

Lois frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"The police are stumped about the recent drug craze in Metropolis, they have no idea. Some of them think it could be Intergang related though." He replied, calming down a little as he took his seat.

"What isn't related to them? Listen chief," she ignored the irritated glance. "I really think that this drug craze is _all _down to them. It just has to be. Add to that that my source is now dead because she talked to me about something bigger going on than just prostitution. Add to _that _that I was then arrested for a crime I did not commit. Something is happening there, I know it. They wouldn't be trying so hard to get rid of me if I weren't on to something."

"Oh no…I know that look Lois. Don't even think about it." Perry warned.

"What look?"

He pointed at her face. "That one right there. The one that tells me you're about to run off and do something stupid. Remember, you don't have journalistic rights at the moment since you're on leave. I can't protect you."

"What is it with everyone thinking I need protection all of a sudden? First Clark, now you? It's enough Perry!"

Slightly taken aback at her outburst, Perry seized on the one piece of information that had sunk in. "Clark?"

Inwardly cursing herself for mentioning his name out loud, Lois sighed. "He's just…an old friend."

But Perry apparently wasn't going to be thrown off that easily. "This wouldn't be the same Clark that you used to be married to, would it?"

Lois gasped. "How did you know about that?"

Perry smiled as if he held some kind of secret. "You forget Lois, it's customary to do a background and criminal record check on all new Daily Planet employees. It came up. I never mentioned it because you didn't and besides, you had that look in your eyes that told me I should never bring it up." His tone was soft, making Lois feel uncomfortable.

Truth was, she didn't know how to describe her relationship with Clark to anyone. Least of all herself right now. And especially not to Perry White.

"That's complicated too."

"I understand that but…wait, what was his surname again?"

"Kent. Why?"

A light appeared in Perry's eyes as he got up and crossed over to his filing cabinet. After a few minutes of searching, he made a sound of triumph and returned to his desk, slapping a file down in front of her.

"What's this?"

"This, Lane, is a file of all the articles sent to us by Clark Kent dating back to about three years ago."

"What?" She quickly grabbed the file and began poring through it. There was more than a few and each one had been published. Why hadn't Clark told her?

"How could I not know about this? I read the Daily Planet every single _day_!"

"Because he asked that we print it under a pseudonym. I didn't mention it to you because I assumed that if you didn't already know, it was none of my business."

"I can't believe this." She said, more to herself than Perry.

"He's good Lois. Really good, he's got potential. What's he up to nowadays?"

Lois put the articles back in the file and placed it on the desk, then rubbed at her tired eyes. She felt as if she hadn't slept for a week. "I don't know. He just got back from his…travels."

"Well, have him call me when he has the time. I'd very much like to talk to him."

Lois' eyes went wide. "You want to hire him? Here?"

"I didn't say that."

"But you were thinking it!"

Perry held up a hand. "Now Lois, calm down…"

"Calm down? I'm not worked up! I just…here? Why can't you get him a job at another paper?"

"And give him to the competition?" Perry snorted. "Why is this bothering you so much?"

"Because…oh forget it!" She slumped back in her chair, feeling defeated. It wasn't that she didn't want Clark to work at the Planet, truth be told he'd be a great asset. But seeing him every single day at work, not knowing how things were between them, it was too much to think about right now. She needed to focus on one thing at a time.

"Look chief, we need to get to the bottom of this whole Intergang mess. If nothing else, I would like to sleep in my own bed tonight without fear of bullets coming through my windows."

Perry's eyes clouded with anger. "You're right. Nobody takes shots at my reporters. What are the police doing about it?"

"Nothing. Because I don't know which one of them took the shot at me."

"You think it was a cop?"

"It has to be. Morgan's reach goes a long way. I intend to find out how far it goes."

Perry sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Something he did a lot when talking to Lois. "Lois, I won't say it again."

Lois actually chuckled at that. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I'm going to do what I do best."

Perry let out a groan. "That's what worries me."

"Hey, I'm an investigative reporter, which means I investigate. But I promise I won't do anything stupid. You have my word."

Perry shook his head. "Oh I really wish I hadn't heard _that_ before." But then he nodded and stood up.

As she walked towards the door, he called her name. "Yeah?"

"If you get yourself killed I will be very, _very_ angry with you."

Lois swallowed, knowing it wouldn't come to that but still fearing it nonetheless. "Gotcha." 

* * *

><p>Clark arrived back at Wayne Manor later that afternoon, feeling guilty for the way he'd left Lois that morning. In his rush to confront his father, he'd neglected to realise what his disappearance might mean to her.<p>

Feeling ashamed but eager to see her, Clark raced up the stairs to her room, only to find it empty. So he went downstairs to the kitchen, then the living room. The Manor, as big as it was, with its entire staff, was surprisingly quiet. Eerily quiet. Clark felt a tingling sense that something was very wrong.

"Alfred?" He called out. Alfred was always here. Yet he received no answer. Where was everyone?

Just as he was about to leave, his cell phone started ringing. It was Bruce.

"Clark, where are you?" He asked as soon as Clark answered. The man never said hello when he called.

"I'm at the Manor. What's going on Bruce, where's Alfred? And where's Lois?"

He heard Bruce take a deep breath. "She's in Metropolis, Clark."

"She's what?" he yelled. "Bruce!"

"Listen! Before you get all bent out of shape, I need to tell you what happened. Alfred just called me. He said that she was determined to get out of the Manor, to get back to Metropolis and he couldn't stop her."

Clark squeezed his eyes shut, cursing Lois for her erratic behaviour, but he knew that Alfred wouldn't have been able to stop her even if he'd tried. But he'd really believed he'd gotten through to her when it came to the danger she was facing. He thought she understood, so why would she go running back to the one place that wasn't safe. "So what did he actually do?"

"Instead of letting her call a cab, he offered to drive her himself. He said she seemed strange…"

"Strange how?"

"Well if you didn't interrupt me, I would tell you and you would know by now." Bruce replied impatiently.

"Don't start with me Bruce, today is not the day for it."

Bruce grunted. "Fine. Alfred said that she seemed withdrawn and kind of antsy. It worried him so after he dropped her off at the Daily Planet, he stayed. He's waiting out of sight but she hasn't come out yet so he assumes she's still in there."

"Okay, that's good. At least she's safe in there. I'm on my way now, if Alfred calls, tell him to stay where he is until I can get there."

Clark rushed out of the door and prepared to take off. But just before he hung up, Bruce spoke again in a low voice.

"Clark, if you need my _help_ in any way, call me."

"I will. Thanks Bruce."

He snapped his phone shut and took off into the sky, his mind filled with all the worst case scenarios. _Lois, please be careful._

* * *

><p>Lois had no idea what her next move was. Literally no idea. After leaving Perry's office, she'd gone to her own but as she sat down at her desk, all her motivation deserted her. What was she going to do? March into Morgan's office and demand he give up evidence to send him away for decades? No, not likely. There had to be a way she could get in there without him knowing.<p>

"Well, well, look who decided to grace us with her presence." A voice said from the doorway, startling her. "I didn't believe Colby when he said you were back, but here you are…"

"Oh…Matt, hi." She replied, not really wanting to speak to him right now. In fact, he was the last person she wanted to see. "I didn't realise this floor was your regular stomping ground now."

But he was oblivious to her inner thoughts and her spoken ones too, so he entered and perched himself on the edge of her desk. "Where on earth have you been Lois?" He asked with a soft voice. "I've been so worried."

His eyes landed on her injured shoulder. "What happened to you?"

She chuckled. "Oh this is nothing, you should see the other guy."

But Matt clearly wasn't paying attention. "Lois…did you get my voicemails?"

"Yes, I did. _Both _of them. And the missed calls, and the text messages too." She stood up and started gathering a few things. Not because she needed them but because she wanted to put some space between her and Matt. He was getting a little too close.

"I know it seemed a little stalker-ish but I really just wanted to know that you were okay. I haven't seen you for days, you wouldn't return any of my texts."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Interesting, considering that the last time we saw each other you basically said that you never wanted anything to do with me again."

She saw a brief flutter of panic in his gaze before he masked it behind that cool façade that she was beginning to suspect was all for her benefit. But why?

"Besides, it was only one date. Well not even that. It was half a date that didn't end well. So…no harm done huh?"

He shook his head slowly, keeping his eyes glued to hers. "I'm sorry that I acted like such a jerk that night. I was just thrown for a loop that's all. I wanted to see you again, I really like you Lois."

She snorted. "Oh please, you think I'm going to fall for that? I know what this is about."

The charming smile disappeared. "And what's that?"

"You're trying to get yourself up here. Play with the big boys and girls instead of just writing about sports."

He looked offended, but she wasn't fooled by it. "I love writing sports. What makes you think I would want to be an investigative reporter?"

"Because I recognise that look whenever you're in here. I know because I saw it in the mirror every day for years." She put a hand on her hip. "So what is it that you really want from me, Matt?"

He fell silent for a few minutes, adjusting his tie and fussing with his hair. Then he let out a sigh. "Fine, you got me. I really want to break into real journalism. Is that so bad?"

"No but the lying and trying to use me? Not so good. You could've just asked for my help, you know."

He looked down at the floor, and Lois felt a momentary pang of pity. He looked like a little boy being denied his favourite toy. "I didn't know if you would help me."

Lois closed her eyes and shook her head, then stared at him. "I'm really not sure what I can do to help, but if you want…I can talk to Perry. Maybe put in a good word for you?"

"Would you? He'd listen to you the most. Oh that would be fantastic Lois, thank you." He said, grabbing her face in his hands and planting a kiss on her lips.

"Hey!" she yelled, rearing back.

He stood back and raised his hands apologetically. "Sorry, I'm…that was my bad."

Lois rubbed at her temple, feeling a headache coming on. "It's okay. Well, it's not but…I have to go so we'll just let that one slide."

His eyes flashed. "Big story?"

"Nothing I really want to discuss with you. It's private."

He nodded and backed away to the door. "I understand. But Lois…"

"Yeah?"

His eyes bored into hers again, unnerving her. "It wasn't all about journalism. I really did like you."

Then without another word, he walked out.

Lois blinked then shook her head. She didn't have time to think about Matt's motives, she had a story to write, bad guys to bring down.

Grabbing her purse she headed for the elevator, but it was only after the doors closed that she realised she was now alone with Matt.

He smiled at her, but it didn't reach his eyes. It looked rather sinister, in fact. Suddenly, the little hairs on the back of her neck rose up, alerting her. But before she could say or do anything, he leapt forward and grabbed her, stuffing something foul smelling over her mouth.

She struggled against him, kicking, punching, but nothing made him release his grip on her. She was in serious trouble here. Her muscles started to feel weak, her punches becoming much less effective now. Her head began to swim and darkness crept in, and all she could think about as her body went limp was Clark and how much he'd be disappointed in her for coming back here. 

* * *

><p>Alfred leaned his head from side to side, trying to work out the kinks that sitting for hours in the car had put in his neck. He was getting too old for this, he thought. But while Lois was still inside the Daily Planet, he wasn't going anywhere. He knew the stakes. But as long as she stayed in there, she was relatively safe and he could relax. A little.<p>

He almost jumped through the roof when, in less than a blink of an eye, a figure appeared next to his window. He yelled and jumped so hard that he spilled his coffee down the front of his jacket. Shaking his head, he got out of the car and shrugged the jacket off.

"A little warning might be nice, don't you think Master Kent?" he said, brushing at his shirt.

Clark looked sheepish, but amused at the same time. "Sorry Alfred." Then he turned serious. "Did she come out yet?"

"No Sir, she's been in there for a few hours now. I don't think she's going anywhere. She could just be catching up on lost time at work?"

Clark shook his head and glanced at the building. "No, she's on temporary leave right now."

Alfred chuckled. "I haven't known Miss Lane that long, but something tells me she wouldn't let that stop her."

"You're right. Okay, I'm going in to look for her. You can go back to Gotham now if you like."

"Are you sure you don't need me to hang around Sir?"

"No it's fine. Thank you though, for driving her here. I really appreciate it."

Alfred nodded. "It was my pleasure. She's a remarkable young woman."

Clark smiled as he got back into the car and drove away. "Yeah, she is."

He crossed the street and entered the lobby of the Daily Planet, taking a second to appreciate the view. It was a beautiful place. Somewhere he could see himself working one day, maybe in the future.

Shaking those thoughts off, he focused on the reason he was here and walked over to the front desk. The receptionist, a young woman with strikingly blonde hair smiled up at him.

"Welcome to the Daily Planet, may I help you?"

"I'm looking for Lois Lane. Is she here?"

The receptionist's smile faded to a thin line. "I'm sorry sir but I can't divulge that information."

"Right, only I need to find her and I am her boyfriend. It's extremely urgent. Is there anyway you can help me?" He felt bad using manipulation. Lois had once told him that his eyes were his biggest asset when it came to the opposite sex. But he had no choice.

She stared at him for a few seconds, and then shook her head. "I'm really not supposed to do this. But yes, she did log in a few hours ago."

"Did she log back out?"

"It says here that she didn't. Listen, why don't I give her office a call for you and then you can speak to her from down here. I'm really not allowed to let you up there without a visitors pass and a prior appointment."

"I'd appreciate that, thank you."

"One more thing, your name?"

"Oh, Clark Kent."

While Clark waited for her to make that call, he glanced at the list of personnel that hung on one wall behind the her. The editor-in-chief was still Perry White. That made him smile, remembering the articles he'd sent to him when he was out on his travels.

"Mr Kent?" He turned his attention back to the young woman in front of him. "I'm sorry but I'm not getting any answer from her office. Mr White also says that she left his office about half an hour ago."

A feeling of cold dread swept through Clark, but he smile politely at the receptionist and nodded. "Thanks. I appreciate you trying."

He turned to leave. "Wait a second Mr Kent." He looked back at the receptionist. "Mr White would like to speak with you. You can go on up now."

After getting the floor and location of Perry's office, Clark thanked her once again and headed for the elevator.

He could hear someone yelling as soon as he stepped off and as he got closer to Perry's office, he realised it was him. The door was open but he knocked and waited for him to notice.

"Clark Kent?" The man he assumed was Perry, asked. He was older than Clark thought, and he looked like he was the kind of man who was always angry. But there was a softness in his eyes that betrayed that thought.

"Yes."

"Come in, we need to talk." Perry turned to the young man in front of him. "That'll be all Colby."

"Yes, Mr White." Colby took a worried, sweeping glance at Clark and quickly left the room, closing the door behind him.

He didn't offer him a seat, Clark noticed, as he paced around behind his desk. "You asked about Lois. I take it that she's been staying with you lately?"

Clark nodded, unsure of how much Lois' boss actually knew about their…situation. "She was here wasn't she?"

"She was. But she left about half an hour ago. She's not in her office?"

"No, the receptionist couldn't get an answer." Clark replied, feeling even more worried now. Where was she?

"I'm worried Clark. I'm going to be honest with you. I don't know what your relationship is with Lois but you need to know that she's planning on taking down Intergang."

"I know, that's what I was afraid of."

Perry shook his head. "No you don't understand Clark, when she was in here, she was talking about Morgan Edge and I got the feeling that she was planning on doing something. Like today."

"Why didn't you stop her?" Clark asked, a little angry at him for letting Lois just walk out of here with a target on her back.

Perry snorted and ran a hand through his thinning hair. "Like I could stop her. That woman is on a mission. You need to find her, it would appear that you're the only one that can get through to her right now."

Clark frowned. "Why do you say that?"

Perry looked at him, a hint of a smile on his lips. "Because Clark, I've known Lois for years. For her to leave this city during a time like this…it would take some pretty strong persuasion. Clearly you have a way with her."

Clark didn't know what to think of that so he didn't reply.

"Just…" Perry sighed. "Just let me know if you find her. I'm going to the police station to do a little investigating of my own. She's so sure that some of them are being paid by Morgan so I'm going to find out exactly who we can trust."

Perry stared hard at Clark. "But Lois, she's not just a reporter to me. I need to know she's okay."

Clark nodded. "Don't worry, I'll find her." He just hoped it wasn't too late when he did. 

* * *

><p>Matt carefully loaded a still unconscious Lois Lane into the back of his van and closed the door. Leaning his head against it, he closed his eyes. <em>What the hell am I doing? <em>Lois was a nice person, she didn't deserve this. But he was in too far to turn back now.

As he got into the driver's seat, his cell phone rang. Irritated, he picked it up and snapped. "What?"

The voice on the other end was calm, but he wasn't fooled. Bruno was angry. "You have her?"

"Yes."

"Good, bring her to me. You know the place."

"What are you going to do to her?"

Bruno chuckled, a sound that made Matt cringe inside. "That's not your concern. You deliver on your end of the deal and I'll deliver on mine."

Matt ended the call and fired up the engine. It was a miracle that no one had seen him dragging her out of the basement elevator and into the parking lot but since it was the middle of the afternoon, everyone was still inside working.

Feeling guilty, he drove out of the parking lot and on to his destination.

**_To Be Continued..._**


	18. Chapter 17

**_Chapter Seventeen_**

Bruno couldn't believe his luck. After months of stressing about how much this woman knew, how much of a threat she was to their operation, she was now finally sitting in front of him. Albeit unconscious and tied to a chair, but it was good enough for now. Of course he'd need her to wake up soon, he needed answers.

He hadn't told Morgan about her yet, mainly because he was still trying to figure out if he should. Oh certainly his job was on the line if he didn't, well a lot more would be on the line than that but he wasn't worried anymore. He had a plan, but first he needed to know what she knew.

Someone shuffling to his left brought him out of his thoughts and he looked over to see Matt staring at Lois with a strange expression on his face. Did he care for her? That could prove useful.

"Oh stop squirming Matt. She's not dead…yet."

Matt paled and rubbed his hands over his jacket, as if to remove some invisible stain. "Do you have to kill her?"

"I never said I was going to. But it's a possibility." Bruno looked from Lois back to Matt with a smile. "Why? Are you in love with her?"

Matt shook his head. "No of course not, but she's a good person. She doesn't really deserve…"

"It's not up to you what she deserves. You've done your job, now let me do mine. We all have people we have to answer to. Now go away, I'm tired of looking at you."

Matt stayed where he was, unable to look away from Lois. Bruno walked right up to him and stared him in the eye.

"Actually on second thought, there is something else you can do."

"No way man, I'm not doing anything else for you. I'm done; I don't care what you do."

Bruno shrugged. "Oh it's nothing big, I just need information."

Matt's eyes narrowed. "What kind of information?"

"Where did she disappear to? Do you know?"

"No, she wouldn't tell me. But I think that her husband might be involved."

Now that peaked Bruno's interest. "Husband? I wasn't aware that she had one."

"He's been away apparently. Only recently came back. Look, what do you really need me for? You have the girl, now let me go."

"In a minute." Bruno smiled. "Tell me more about this husband." 

* * *

><p>Perry stood at the front desk of the Metropolis Police Department getting frustrated. The officer behind it looked back at him with boredom. "Look, there has to be someone here that can talk to me."<p>

"Mr White, we don't owe the press anything. I can't help you and you _know_ that I cannot discuss on-going cases with you."

This wasn't the first time Perry had come up against this guy. He was always bitter, probably because he had to man the desk every day rather than actually fight crime.

"Listen to me, I don't care what you say, I want to talk to Detective Hess."

"And I'm telling you that he's not here." Chad replied, his face reflecting the anger in his tone. "I can have him call you when he…"

"That's not good enough Chad! A woman's life may be in danger and I…"

"Mr White?" A voice called out behind him. Perry turned to see Detective Ambers and a rather sharply dressed young man staring at him.

"Neil." Perry stepped forward and shook the man's hand. "How are you?"

"I've been better." Neil's glance flickered to Chad and then back to Perry. "What's going on?"

"I need to talk to Hess, have you seen him?"

Neil shook his head. "Not since yesterday. He isn't answering his phone either."

"That's not like him." Perry replied, frowning.

Neil glanced at the man next to him, someone Perry had never seen before, and then tilted his head towards a door leading off to the side. "Come with us."

Perry followed them into one of the interview rooms, waiting until they all sat down before asking. "What's this about?"

It wasn't Neil that replied. "We believe that there is someone within this department working for Morgan Edge."

Perry frowned at him; this man looked as if he'd stepped right out of a catalogue. An expensive one at that. "And who are you?"

"My name is Xavier Winters. I'm an attorney. I represent Miss Lane; I trust you know the details." Perry nodded. "Well after some investigating between myself and Detective Ambers here, we've discovered that whoever shot Miss Lane has to be working within this department."

"How did you come to that conclusion?" Perry asked, not because he didn't believe them, but because he wanted to be sure they were right. This was Lois' life they were talking about.

"All evidence points to the shooter being a person with some military training. A sniper to be precise."

"Hess was a sniper?"

"He served his time and then became a detective when he retired." Neil answered grimly. "He also checked his gun out on the night of the shooting."

"But he would have known that would raise suspicion wouldn't he?"

Neil shrugged. "Maybe he wanted it to. I can't explain why, I just know that he's not answering any calls, he hasn't shown up for work and he never misses a day. Even when he's sick. So my gut tells me that it's him."

Perry nodded. "Then we have a big problem, I think Lois is in danger. Right now."

Xavier's eyes widened. "What makes you think that? I thought she was staying with Mr Kent."

"She just vanished after leaving my office and I can't find her, she isn't answering her calls either." Perry's brain went into overdrive. "It's him isn't it? Hess has Lois."

"We don't know that yet, Perry. But we're running a financial check on his accounts. If he's on Morgan's payroll, it'll show up." Neil said, avoiding eye contact. "I'm heading over to his apartment now to see if he's there."

He voice sounded strange and Perry knew this had to be hard for him. Hess was his partner after all. To work side by side with someone on a daily basis, to put your trust in him, and then find out that he was working with the bad guys had to be a big pill to swallow. "Well it damn sure is a good place to start. Let's go."

Xavier held up a hand. "Mr White, no offence but you are a reporter, yes?"

Perry glared at him. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"Perhaps it would be best for you to leave this to the police?"

He scoffed. "You're kidding right? The police are part of the problem here."

Neil stood up just as Perry did and walked right up to him. Since Neil was a lot taller, Perry found himself having to look up, and hating it. "Do you think _I_ am part of the problem, Perry? You know that I have always looked out for Lois and I would never let anything happen to her."

Perry sighed. "I know, but you're not keeping me out of this Neil. We have to find her and standing here belly aching about this is not going to help."

Neil looked conflicted for a few seconds. "Fine, you can come. But you stay back and out of the way."

Perry nodded. "Got it."

* * *

><p>Clark circled the city for what must have been the hundredth time but there was still no sign of Lois. He slowly landed on the Daily Planet's roof and listened. Closing his eyes, he blocked out the noise of the traffic, the bustle of people on the streets below. He focused on nothing but his own heartbeat. But still there was nothing.<p>

Drawing in a deep breath, he flipped open his cell phone. Bruce picked up on the third ring.

"Clark? Everything okay?"

"No it's not Bruce. I need your help. Can you trace Lois' cell phone? Like a GPS trace or something? She's missing and no one has seen her recently. She's not answering my calls and I can't sense her anywhere."

"I can but not from here." 'Here' meaning from his offices. Clark knew the kind of equipment he needed to do this particular job would be in his Batcave, as he'd called it. A name Bruce was not really fond of but it fit perfectly for what it was. After all, it was an actual cave, hidden from view by a large waterfall.

"How long?"

"Give me twenty minutes; I'll get back to you."

"Thanks Bruce."

"No problem. Oh Clark?" he said just before Clark could hang up. "Be careful. If these guys are manufacturing drugs out of meteor rock…well, just don't get too close okay?"

Clark closed his eyes, aware of the dangers. But he didn't have a choice. It was _Lois. _"I'll try."

"If you need any help…"

"Thanks. Bruce…find her please." He swallowed hard as he felt his voice crack a little.

"I will do my best Clark, you have my word." From the tone of Bruce's voice, it was obvious that he knew how much this meant to Clark.

He hung up and stared out at the city, listening hard again. It would be dark soon; he needed to find her before that happened. His mind kept going to the worst case scenario and all he could think of was the last time he saw her. His chest ached at the thought of her being hurt, of her thinking that he'd just walked out and left her this morning without saying a word. Now more than ever, he regretted that.

Was she hurt? Scared? Waiting for him to save her? He knew that Lois was strong, that she could get herself out of most situations by sheer talk alone. And when she couldn't, she fought hard. But these men were dangerous, they wanted her dead.

Clark's throat closed up. No, he refused to believe that she'd be…He couldn't even finish that thought. All the anger he'd been feeling since he'd returned to Metropolis, at her, at their fathers, at the whole damn situation, it all just disappeared. None of it mattered now. He needed to get her back. So once more he focused his hearing, straining to hear _any_ sign of her.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he whispered. "Where are you, Lois?"

* * *

><p>"I was wondering when you were going to join us." A voice said as Lois slowly opened her eyes. She blinked; trying to focus in the dull light of…where was she anyway? She tried to move but the ropes around her wrists and ankles were too tight and the more she struggled against them, the more they burned and cut into her skin.<p>

"Who are you?" she asked, clearing her throat as she strained to see the source of the voice. It was too dark; she could barely make anything out. It was a large room, but the walls looked metal, not brick or wood. There were shapes of metal shelves but she couldn't see enough to make out what was on events of the past few hours were starting to seep in, slowly pushing the groggy feeling away. _Matt_. He'd kidnapped her. And whatever he'd drugged her with had left a nasty taste in her mouth.  
>"Show yourself!"<p>

"I think you already know who I am, Miss Lane." The slight mocking tone of his voice irritated her. Why was he hiding?

"Well I think I'd remember meeting someone with a bondage fetish." She retorted, trying deeply to ignore the pain in her shoulder. With her hands tied behind her back, the angle was like a knife cutting through her bullet wound.

"You've certainly got a mouth on you, haven't you?" he chuckled. She saw a shadow moving in the corner of the room, but no detail.

"Where's Matt?"

"Oh you just missed him, I'm afraid. He already left." The shadow moved forward, into view. "Now, I believe you and I should talk."

Lois' eyes narrowed. "Bruno Manheim. I knew Morgan was behind this, so why hide yourself from me? Why go to all this trouble?"

"Because Morgan has no idea that you're even here, he rarely visits this place. He prefers his minions to do all the heavy lifting." He crouched down in front of her, staring intently. "I have a proposition for you, Lois Lane."

She leaned her head forward as far as she could manage and glared at him. "Not interested."

He held up his hands. "Just wait, please. You need to hear what I'm offering and then you can make a decision."

She scoffed. "What decision? I'm tied to a chair; you just drugged and kidnapped me. You're never letting me go."

"Don't be so sure." He murmured quietly, but loud enough for her to hear and she could see how serious he was in his eyes. "You can choose to hear me out and accept my offer. You will go back to your life at the Daily Planet, to your husband, with the story of a lifetime. Or…"

Lois tried not to let the fact that he knew about Clark affect her, but it was unnerving to hear Bruno talk about him. The fact that Clark was pretty much invincible didn't matter, not when there was green meteor rock involved. She knew how much it could hurt him.

"Or what?"

"Or…you will die. It's your choice." He stood up and folded his arms, staring down at her with a look that told her he wasn't kidding. He would do what he said. This was not an offer from good intentions, this was all for his own personal gain.

"What's the offer?"

"I want to make a deal with you, Lois. But first I need your word that I can trust you."

She burst into laughter. "Trust me? I'm the one with a bullet hole in my shoulder and currently tied to a chair. How much of a threat can I really be right now?"

"You misunderstand me. If you accept what I'm about to ask of you, I want to be sure that I can trust you to keep our arrangement _strictly _between us."

_He's serious_, she thought, surprised. "Fine, you can trust me." He glanced sceptically at her. "I give you my word. But how am I supposed to trust you? People have died because of you."

He shrugged and nodded at the chair she was in. "I don't really think you have a lot of options right now."

He pulled up a small stool and sat down in front of her.

She frowned. "What's this really about?"

"It's quite simple really; I want to give you Morgan Edge. I want _you_ to take him down. For good. "

**_To Be Continued..._**


	19. Chapter 18

**_Chapter Eighteen_**

"I can't believe you're starting to doubt me now." Morgan Edge said as he folded his arms across his chest. Sitting in front of the Mayor's desk, feeling like a chastised child, was not something he would tolerate. He needed to remain in control of this situation. The very nature of his business depended on it.

"I just don't think that now is the right time." Mayor Swanson replied. His barely visible smirk irritated Morgan to no end.

Taking a deep breath, Morgan stood up. "We have come too far to go back on this now. I suggest you get in line."

"Or what? Don't forget it's me that pays you, not the other way around."

Morgan's brows rose in surprise. "Backbone…I like it. However, it is too late for that. The shipment is almost ready to be delivered. I need you to get your boys on board."

Swanson shook his head, a determined look appearing in his eyes. "No, I can't do this anymore Morgan. People have died, it's damaging this city. I will be running for re-election soon and this being in the news has already got people questioning whether or not I am the best thing for this city right now."

Morgan placed both hands on his desk and leaned over to the point where he was within reaching distance. "Listen Kevin," he kept his voice light, unthreatening. "We had an agreement, going back on it now will only hurt you."

"Are you threatening me, Edge?"

"Not at all. I'm just saying…it would be a shame for the citizens to discover that our wonderful Mayor had dirty dealings with the seedy underbelly of Metropolis, don't you agree?"

Swanson laughed, but there was a hint of nervousness in it. Good, Morgan thought, he was getting through to him at last. "How would they find out? The only people that know about this are you and me."

"Oh I can think of at least one other person. Plus this," He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a recorder. Hitting the back button, he let the last few seconds of their conversation play before shutting it off and putting it back.

"It's my own little insurance policy. I can assure you that every single word we have ever said to each other has been recorded and heard by at least one other person. So really, you have no choices here. But I do respect your sudden attack of conscience. Unfortunately, it won't do you any good to follow through on it."

Mayor Swanson nodded and sat back down, noticeably paler than before.

"Good. I'll be in touch with the details of the shipment."

Smiling as he left the Mayor's office, Morgan made his way down to his car. As he approached it, he saw someone standing by the driver's door. "Can I help you?"

The man turned to face him, looking extremely worried. "Mr Edge, I need to talk to you."

"Ah, you're Bruno's…associate."

At the mention of his right-hand man's name, the man looked away, almost guiltily. "Yeah, I'm Matt. Listen, I need to tell you something."

"Then speak."

Matt looked around. "Not here."

Morgan rolled his eyes and unlocked his car. "Get in, I need to head back to my office, we can talk along the way but this better be important."

Matt nodded and started to get into the back passenger seat until Morgan stopped him. "No, in front please. Bruno may trust you, but I don't. I want you where I can see you."

Matt waited in silence as Morgan pulled out into the rush hour traffic. It was starting to get dark out as people made their way home from their jobs.

"So what's this about?"

"Bruno. He's…he's up to something."

"What do you mean? Get to the point, I don't have all night." He snapped.

Matt swallowed hard. "He's planning on selling you out to the reporter."

Morgan scoffed. "He wouldn't dare…"

"Oh no? Right now Bruno has Lois Lane tied to a chair and he's preparing to make a deal with her."

"What kind of a deal?"

"A deal where you end up in prison for a very long time, and he walks away clean." Morgan flicked a glance at him as he drove. He was wound tighter than a spring and it didn't take a genius to see he was about to break.

A familiar anger overtook Morgan; of course Bruno would try something like this. He had wanted control of Intergang for a while now. Morgan knew it, but he never thought Bruno would act on it. He wasn't strong enough to lead Intergang and he knew that.

"How do you know all this?"

"After I took Lois to him, he let me go. But I hung around, heard them talking, you know?"

"Stop fidgeting!" Morgan snapped, the way he kept tapping his foot against the floor was starting to drive him crazy. "Tell me, what do you have to lose in all this?"

"Oh, only my career, my freedom, my life! You have to stop him."

"If what you say is true, I can assure you that I will take care of Bruno. But I am going to need verification."

Matt sighed and dropped his head back against the seat. "Go to your not-so-secret lab. You'll get all the verification you need." 

* * *

><p>"I think it might be best if you wait out here, Perry." Detective Neil Ambers stopped in the hallway just outside Detective Hess' apartment door.<p>

Perry shook his head and stepped up to the door, knocking loudly. "Yeah, that's not going to happen."

Neil sighed in frustration and shook his head. "Don't come crying if something happens then."

Perry chuckled. "Son, I've been in the journalism game for more than a few years now. I think I can handle whatever is in there."

Neil shrugged and banged on the door. "Hess! Open up, I know you're in there, I can smell the meatloaf."

At Perry's frown, Neil explained. "He's obsessed with the stuff. He makes at least three a week." Raising his fist, he banged again. "Hess! Come on man, don't make me come in there uninvited."

Xavier looked slightly out of his element, which made Perry smile just a little. Lawyers were not meant for this line of work. "Maybe we should call someone in?"

"What for? I know where he keeps his spare." Neil reached up over Perry's head and retrieved a key from the top of the door frame.

"Huh. Not a very inventive idea for a cop." Perry murmured.

Once they were inside, Neil closed the door and allocated them each a room. Perry got the living room while Xavier checked out the bedroom. At first glance there was nothing out of the ordinary. But really, what had he been expecting? A rifle just lying around with evidence of Lois' shooting on it?

As he looked around, he felt the air change slightly. A subtle shift. Something was very wrong here.

"Guys, get in here!" Xavier called from the bedroom.

"What is it?" Neil replied, returning from the bathroom. He glanced at Perry briefly before crossing to the bedroom. As they both stood in the doorway, Xavier turned from the closet to look at them. His face was deathly pale, almost green.

"Mr White, would you please call the paramedics?"

"What?" Neil snapped. In two strides he was next to Xavier, looking into the closet. Perry hung back as he made the call. He didn't need to see whatever was in there.

"No!" Neil yelled, lunging forward to check his partner's pulse. "Hess, can you hear me? It's me buddy, come on…"

Hanging up, Perry made his way into the room, glancing into the closet as Xavier stepped back out of the way. Neil dragged his partner out gently into the bedroom and immediately dropped down on his knees beside him, one hand covering the wound, the other still checking for a pulse.

"Ambulance is on the way." Perry said.

"He's alive…barely. His pulse is weak, he's not gonna make if they don't get here soon."

Hess' eyes fluttered, so briefly that Perry wasn't sure it had happened but when he groaned, Perry crouched down on the other side of him. "Is he saying something?"

"I can't tell. Hess? It's me buddy, it's Neil. Hang in there, help is on the way. Where is that ambulance?"

It all seemed to happen in slow motion for Perry, he wasn't sure what to do. When he felt something touch his fingers he flinched. It was Hess, he was reaching out. His eyes were closed but his lips were moving. Perry leaned down, his ear close to Hess' mouth and listened.

"Bishop…" It was barely a whisper, but Perry caught it. His eyes widened as his head shot up.

"What?" Neil asked. "What did he say?"

"Son of a…" Perry glared at him. "It was Chad!" 

* * *

><p>"So…do we have a deal?" Bruno asked, clasping his hands together.<p>

Lois tried to focus on what he was saying, but her head hurt and her hands had now lost all feeling. Her shoulder was still screaming at her and she was pretty sure she'd popped a couple of stitches. "I don't know…"

Bruno stood up and lunged at her so fast that an involuntary scream came out. Instead of the attack she feared coming, he spun her chair around and quickly cut the ropes around her wrists and then her ankles.

She let out a cry as he hauled her to her feet and she felt something warm trickle down her back. She knew she'd definitely popped more than a couple of stitches then.

"This…is my show of faith, Lois Lane." Bruno said, staring directly into her eyes. "Prove to me that _I_ can trust _you_."

She nodded slowly, getting her balance back as he released her. "I'll be in touch."

He narrowed his eyes but didn't say anything as he watched her hobble towards the door.

"Going somewhere?" A figure stepped into the doorway just as she reached it.

"Morgan Edge." She said with disgust.

He grinned as he walked forward, forcing her to step back. "I see Bruno has finally done something right. Though I'm a little confused as to why he's just watching you walk out the door."

Bruno glared at him. "I'm letting her go."

Morgan didn't even seem to be phased by the news, he simply smiled and shrugged. "I see. So it's true, you are betraying me."

"I'm taking care of Intergang. You're leading us into destruction!"

Before Lois could even react, a shot rang out and Bruno fell to the floor.

"He'll be fine, it's only a flesh wound. I'll deal with him later." Morgan turned to her. "You, on the other hand, well you're very hard to get rid of aren't you?"

Lois tipped her chin up, refusing to let him see any sign of weakness.

"That's what I thought." He shook his head sadly. "Such a shame. Okay, move."

Morgan raised the gun to her head and pushed her back toward the chair she was previously tied up in.

"Sit." As he was tying her up, two more men appeared at the doorway. Burly men with more muscles than brains, Lois guessed. "You two, get him off the floor, tie him up."

"Now Miss Lane…" He said, circling slowly around until he was standing behind her. She felt his hand smooth her hair down and barely held back a shudder. "What should I do with you?"

"Let me go."

He chuckled. "You want to know what it is that we're doing here, don't you? The inside scoop."

He walked over to a table and picked something up. "Well then, why don't I just show you?"

"What are you going to do?" Lois asked, her bravado failing her. She knew what was in his hand, she'd seen what it had done to others. Quite honestly, it scared the heck out of her.

Morgan smiled and held up the syringe. "Ssh, don't worry sweetheart, it won't hurt a bit." 

* * *

><p>Over the city, looking down on the place known as Suicide Slums, Clark circled around. Lois had to be there somewhere. It had been half an hour since he'd called Bruce. The fear that had been churning in his gut had ramped up several notches with each passing minute that he couldn't find her.<p>

He could hear the gasps of people on the ground, one woman had even screamed. He'd been spotted, but he didn't care. Let them stare, he had more important things to think about than being exposed.

This was useless, he knew that. Yet he couldn't give up. The little voice in his head, telling him that there was only one reason that he couldn't hear Lois' heartbeat, was getting harder to ignore. But he had to. If he, for one moment, allowed himself to think that Lois might be dead, it would finish him.

He landed with a thud in an alley as his cell started ringing. Snapping it up, he didn't give Bruce any time for pleasantries. "Have you found her?"

"I think so but I'm not sure…"

"What do you mean?" Clark asked, listening to the address. "That's an abandoned bank on the other side of Suicide Slums. It's been closed since before I even went for my training."

"Clark…this could be a trap."

"I can't lose her Bruce, not again."

"I understand that, but…"

"I gotta go."

"Clark…I'm on my way." Bruce's voice left no room for argument, not that Clark would bother. He wouldn't listen anyway and besides, with Kryptonite involved he could probably use the help.

**_To Be Continued..._**


	20. Chapter 19

**_Chapter Nineteen_**

Clark came to a screeching halt inside the old, abandoned bank. There was no sign of Lois, or anyone for that matter. The place didn't look like it had had any visitors recently. Activating his x-ray vision, he scanned the perimeter, surprised when he found that he couldn't see through a room towards the back.

Lead.

The giant vault must be made of it. That had to be where they were keeping her. He raced off in that direction, coming to a stop just outside the vault. The door was already open and he could hear voices coming from inside.

He took a deep breath, wanting so badly to rush in there and save her. But the room was full of Kryptonite, he had to be smart about this or both of them would end up dead. As much as it killed him to do so, he held back, trying to formulate some sort of plan.

"What are you going to do?" He heard Lois ask and the tiny waver in her voice broke his heart. She sounded scared.

He looked around frantically, wondering what he could do. A quick glance into the room told him there were at least two guards he needed to take care of. Bruno seemed to be unconscious and Morgan was somewhere out of his line of sight.

Lois cried out, her voice filled with so much pain that Clark could no longer think. He had to get to her.

"Don't do it Clark." A voice said behind him and he turned to see Bruce walking up to him. Except it wasn't Bruce, it was Batman. Clark had always thought his costume was ridiculously extravagant, but he saw the need for it. They couldn't protect people if they knew who they really were.

"What are you doing here already?" He asked, keeping his voice low.

Bruce shrugged. "I was already on the way when I called you."

Clark nodded, and turned back to the door. There was no time for talking. "I have to get in there, she's hurt."

Bruce peered around the door, taking a quick glance at the situation. "Okay, how's the exposure?"

"Too much. I can't get near her, not without putting her in more danger. This is the only way in."

Bruce nodded and stepped back. "So it's also the only way out." He grabbed something from his belt. "We need to bring them to us."

He tossed the small canister into the vault, and within seconds, a cloud of smoke filled the area. "I'll take care of the guards. Morgan will probably try to make a run for it so be ready."

It was a good plan, but just as Bruce prepared to enter the vault, the two armed guards came running at them out of the smog. Bruce easily sidestepped a flying punch and quickly subdued his attacker. The other came at Clark, gun raised. Clark grabbed the barrel just as a shot was fired, and bent it up and over and the guard looked at it in utter shock before realising that he was now in trouble.

"Who are you?" He asked, eyes wide.

"Someone you won't remember." Clark replied, tapping him once on top of his head. The guard went down hard.

"Nighty night." Bruce said, dragging the pair of them out of the doorway. He looked up at Clark. "Two down, two to go."

"Bruno's tied up so I'm guessing Morgan isn't too trusting of him right now. I need to get to Lois." Clark frowned; he felt the familiar pain start to rise in his gut. His blood felt like it was heating up but as he backed away from the door a little, it eased slightly.

"Now where did you two come from?" Morgan Edge stood in the doorway, holding Lois firmly in front of him, his hand around her throat. In his other hand, he held a syringe filled with green liquid. The pain in his gut intensified as he realised what it was. Though from the Kryptonite, or fear, he couldn't tell.

He took in a steadying breath as Lois' eyes fixed on his. He could see her frustration with him, knowing that she'd berate him later for going anywhere near Kryptonite. Right now, he didn't care. She could hate him all she wanted, so long as she was alive. The only thing that had his focus was the faint hint of fear in her eyes.

"Let her go, Morgan. You can't win this." Clark said, his tone calmer than he'd thought it could be in that moment.

Morgan tilted his head to the side and pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Ah, you must be Mr Lane."

"And you must be the infamous drug dealer who's been killing all those kids." Bruce said, stepping forward.

"Ah, ah, ah." Morgan warned, pressing the tip of the needle against Lois' head. She tried to hide the wince, but Clark saw it and it took everything he had not to charge right then and there.

"One more step and I give Miss Lane here the high of her life. Oh, and it's the concentrated formula, in case you were wondering. You see gentlemen, I'm a businessman. And a businessman rarely goes into a situation without a backup plan. So here's what we're going to do. I'm going to walk out of here, unharmed and you will not follow me."

"What about your buddy in there?" Bruce asked and Clark could practically feel the tension radiating off him. He was like a coiled spring, ready and just waiting for the right moment.

"Oh Bruno? Well, he tried to betray me so you can do whatever you want. I've already called the cops."

Now that surprised both of them. "Why would you do that?" Clark asked, trying to shift forward without Morgan noticing.

Morgan chuckled. "I told them my associate in there had gone rogue and was holding this lovely young reporter and myself hostage. I had planned to kill her and let Bruno take the fall for it, but you two have given me no choice but to revise that plan."

"You're just going to leave him alive?" Bruce asked.

"Well the police won't believe him even if he does tell them the truth." Bruno tapped his temple and winked. "I always plan ahead and I have evidence that I can use against him. Call it an insurance policy. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way."

Bruce stepped closer to Clark, blocking the way out. Morgan let out a sigh and rolled his eyes.

"Fellas, did you not hear what I just said? I will kill her." The way he said that, so calmly, sent a shiver running through Clark. He had no doubt that Morgan would do exactly what he was saying. But with the needle now piercing her skin, there was no room for error.

Bruce shot him a look, one that he knew well from their time working together in the past. _Trust me_. He had no idea what Bruce was planning and it made him uneasy, but when Bruce stepped aside to let Morgan pass, Clark fought the urge to yell at him.

Slowly, keeping his eyes locked on Lois the whole time, Clark stepped to the side. He tried to convey to her that he wasn't giving up, that she should trust him. She squeezed her eyes shut for a second, and then gave him a tiny nod.

Morgan stared at them for a few minutes, his expression wary, and then he finally started moving. He pushed Lois ahead of him, keeping the needle in her neck as they walked past them.

They followed him all the way to the front door of the bank, keeping their distance but never taking their eyes off him. Clark's fists clenched tight at his sides, the anger palpable and threatening to take him over completely. Then Morgan stopped and looked back.

"You do-gooders never learn do you? I know you're gonna come after me, it's what you do. You just can't help yourselves. And you…" he said, looking at Bruce. "A bat? Really? Is that supposed to be scary?"

Bruce narrowed his eyes, and Clark felt the dread spread through his body. Morgan was smiling. He wasn't going to let her go. Not alive at least. They had to act now.

The next few seconds seemed to happen in a blur as Bruce, apparently coming to the same conclusion as Clark, lunged towards Morgan, dragging his arm away from Lois and pinning him up against the nearest wall. Lois stood with her hand pressed against her throat as Clark ran to her but when she looked at him, her eyes were wide and scared.

"Clark…" she whispered. He frowned as he watched her eyes grow heavy and bloodshot. He caught her around the waist as she collapsed, the pain intensifying in his own body. He tried to ignore it as he frantically pushed the hair away from her face. "Lois? Lois! Open your eyes!"

She was unconscious and as the pain in his own body got worse, his fear was realised. She'd been injected with the drug. The drug that had been killing people on the streets and this was a concentrated dose.

His legs gave way and he sank to the ground, holding onto her tightly. He shook her weakly, the energy sapped from him every second he held onto her. "Lois." He whispered. "Don't leave me. Please."

Somewhere in the distance, he heard sirens getting closer. The police were coming. He looked over to where Bruce was holding Morgan, and as Bruce glanced back at Lois, Clark could see how worried he was. Realising he was distracted, Morgan reached behind his back and pulled out his gun. Aiming it directly at Bruce's ribcage, he fired and Bruce rocked backwards.

Clark knew he was wearing bulletproof armour, but in order to be able to move and fight the way he needed, there were little gaps. From the way Bruce yelled out, Clark knew a bullet had found its target.

Bruce recovered enough to grab Morgan before he could make his escape, but he wasn't going down without a fight and as he aimed the gun a second time, Bruce snatched it out of his grasp and turned it on him.

"No…" Clark murmured, his energy at its lowest now. He could see the events unfolding, powerless to stop them. "Bruce no!"

Bruce's finger rested on the trigger, and Clark knew the battle his friend was currently waging against himself. Batman was known as the vigilante in Gotham, but that didn't mean he had to be a killer. Over their years of friendship, Clark had tried to make him see that there was always another way. But right now he wasn't so sure that Bruce was thinking clearly.

Morgan's smug face wasn't helping any either. Bruce pushed the barrel of the gun into his chest, right over his heart and leaned forward. "You killed innocent people. You've just tried to kill Lois. Why shouldn't I just put a bullet through your heart right now?"

Morgan chuckled. "Go ahead, killing me won't change anything. She'll be dead within the hour."

"Go on _Batman_, do it. We all know who you really are. A murderer. A monster. A killer."

Something in those words must've gotten through to him because in the next second, Bruce raised the gun and brought it down on Morgan's head, rendering him unconscious. He stood there for a second, watching Morgan's chest rise and fall, and then he turned and looked at Clark.

"Is she…?" He didn't finish the question as he approached, one hand holding his ribs.

"No, she's alive. But she won't be for much longer. We need to get her out of here." Clark groaned as he tried to lift her, but he couldn't. He sank back down to his knees, his breath coming in gasps now as he felt his lungs burn. His head felt like it was about to explode.

"Here." Bruce leaned down and gently lifted Lois into his arms. "I'll get her to the hospital and you…"

"No! They can't help her Bruce, it was concentrated, stronger. She doesn't have time."

"Then what are we going to do?"

"I need to get her to the Fortress, but I can't fly there with her…too dangerous." He replied, slowly getting to his feet as Bruce backed away from him. Every fibre of his being screamed at him to stay close, to not let him take her. But he knew it was for the best right now.

"Okay, I have my chopper. We can take that." He settled Lois in his arms so that he could walk without putting too much pressure on his ribs. "Come on, we gotta get out of here before the cops storm the place."

Clark didn't reply, he couldn't seem to find his voice. All he could do was stare at Lois. Her beautiful face so pale and grey.

* * *

><p>Bruce watched as his best friend struggled to take a step closer to him. With a trembling hand he touched Lois' cheek and leaned down to place a light kiss on her lips. As he did so, Bruce saw the green veins in his cheeks, spreading further up his jaw and down his neck. Alarmed at the sight, Bruce pushed him back, amazed that he could do so. "Clark, back up. This stuff will kill you."<p>

"It's killing her." Clark shot back.

"Then let's go! I'll get her out of here and away from you. That should give you enough time to recover right?"

Clark nodded weakly.

"Right okay. I'll follow you there, just…for now…sit tight."

Clark looked like he was about to protest but kept his mouth shut. As Bruce carried Lois out of the door, he heard his voice behind him.

"I can't lose her again Bruce."

"You won't."

**To Be Continued...**


	21. Chapter 20

What's this? Two updates in a week? Yes it is true. We're so close to the end now and I am on a roll. Hope you enjoy :D 

**_Chapter Twenty_**

"How is he?" Perry asked, getting up from his seat in the corridor of Metropolis General as Neil walked over.

"Well he made it through the surgery, but it's going to be touch and go for a while."

Perry shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry Neil."

"Yeah, me too." He replied brusquely. Perry knew the tactic, bottle up the emotion because it was too hard to talk about. But finding your partner shot and left for dead after suspecting him of being a crook was a hard pill to swallow.

"Anyway, I'm going to head back to the station. There's nothing we can do here and I've got Chad waiting for interrogation. I've called his daughter, she's on her way."

"What about his wife?"

"She died three years ago. Shannon's all he's got left."

Perry saw the conflict evident in Neil's eyes. He didn't want to leave his partner, but he wanted to get to Chad too. "Are you sure you want to leave right now?"

Neil turned his gaze on him, his eyes hardened and angry. "Like I said, there's nothing we can do here and I want to talk to the man who shot my partner."

Perry nodded and backed off. "Okay."

"Are you coming with me? I can't let you in the interrogation room but you can listen in from outside. Figure it's the least I can do after everything you've done. Besides, he might be the one who shot Lois too."

Perry felt a spark of anger as he remembered Chad's name coming from Hess' lips. He'd always thought there was something shady about that guy. "Yeah, thanks."

"Then let's go." 

* * *

><p>Clark stood facing the sky outside his Fortress, eyes closed, soaking in the healing rays of the sun. He could hear Bruce's chopper coming in fast, but he knew as soon as those doors opened, the pain would return. He didn't care. As long as he was next to Lois, nothing else mattered. His feet were already moving as the aircraft landed softly in front of him.<p>

The door swooshed open to reveal Bruce's face, his frown was almost a scowl. He was no longer wearing his mask, this far away from civilisation, he didn't need it.

"How is she?" Clark asked, stepping forward but Bruce held up his hand to stop him.

"She's getting worse." He replied, and Clark gasped as Bruce carried a very limp Lois down the ramp. "I tried to stem the bleeding from her shoulder but all her stitches are ripped. Clark…I can barely detect a pulse."

"No. Lois, stay with me. Please." He whispered, reaching out a hand to touch her face. He ignored the veins glowing green in his hand, the pain radiating through him like a fire. "Come on, we don't have a lot of time."

"Clark…I don't want to step on your dad's toes here, I'm sure he's great an all but shouldn't we be taking her to the hospital?" Bruce asked, his voice slightly strained as he carried Lois inside the icy structure.

Clark ignored him and began moving crystals around in the central control system. "Jor-El!"

"Kal-El, what has happened?" His father's voice echoed through the Fortress. Clark never knew where to look when he was speaking to him.

"I need your help. Lois…she's been injected with Kryptonite."

"My son, you know it is not our place to interfere with the humans."

Clark closed his eyes against the pain in his head. "Don't give me that. Kryptonite came here from our planet. The _humans_ didn't ask for this. Just please help me. I need you to save her."

"I'm sorry my son, her life signs grow weak. We can do many things on this planet but we are not Gods."

"She's dying! Please, you have to help her." He glanced back at her. "I love her Jor-El, and she's my wife. I lost her once, I won't do it again."

"Your desire to start a life bond with this woman was a long time ago Kal-El. When you came to me for your training, you were in pain."

"None of that matters anymore."

"Do you wish for this life bond to continue?"

Clark replied without hesitating. "More than anything. She is my _wife_."

Jor-El fell silent for so long that Clark started to think he would never reply. After what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke. "Very well my son. But I must warn you, we may not be successful."

"I have to try." He murmured, raising his arms to Bruce.

"Clark, you can't take her. You can't even stand straight. Tell me what to do."

"No, I need to do this." Clark replied, his voice gravelly. Bruce reluctantly placed her in his arms and steadied him when he almost toppled. "I'm okay."

"You don't look okay."

Clark drew in a deep, steadying breath and walked over to what looked like a table made entirely of ice. It was glowing with a faint yellow light. Healing light, he knew.

He gently put her down and pressed a kiss to her lips, stifling a sob at how cold they felt now.

"Kal-El, you must stand back. You are weak. It is too dangerous for you to remain close to her." Jor-El said.

"I don't care. I don't want to leave her."

Bruce placed a hand on his shoulder, pulling him back. "Come on buddy, you need to let your father do…whatever it is that he's going to do."

Clark reluctantly stepped back and fell to his knees as the glow in the table began to grow brighter, enveloping Lois in a warm light. Clutching his stomach, he watched as two crystals appeared either side of her neck, and her torso. He knew what was happening, Jor-El was attempting to purify her blood. Remove the poison from her system. But he had no idea if it would work. It had never been done on a human before.

As the tip of the crystals pierced Lois' skin, Clark winced and closed his eyes. _Please let this work_, he thought. _I can't watch her die._

* * *

><p>Nursing a hot cup of coffee, Perry sat in the little room behind interrogation room one. It wasn't a whiskey or bourbon, but it would have to do. He'd given that stuff up a long time ago. Though right now he would gladly go back on that.<p>

Through the two-way mirror, he watched Chad and studied his face. There wasn't an ounce of remorse or fear anywhere. How could he be so calm after what he'd done?

He looked up when he heard Neil enter and take a seat across from Chad. For almost five minutes, he said nothing, just stared, and with each passing moment Perry could see Chad slowly start to fidget. It was small, subtle, but it was there. He was nervous. _Finally_, Perry thought.

Neil reached across the table and slapped a brown folder down in front of him. Chad's eyes flicked down but his expression didn't change.

"What's the matter Chad? Don't recognise your own handiwork?"

Chad scoffed. "I know all the tricks you _detectives _use."

"Then you should know by now that I'm not fooling around." Neil replied, his tone calm but strong.

"I've got nothing to do with _that_." He gestured towards what Perry could now see were photographs. One depicting Detective Hess lying in a hospital bed, and the other of Lois with a bullet wound in her shoulder.

"Really?" Neil sat back in his chair and folded his arms. "You know I have an eye witness right?"

Chad's eyes flickered briefly, before he composed himself "An eye witness to what exactly? I haven't done anything."

"You shot detective Hess. You also shot Miss Lane. This, I know. What I don't know is why. Who are you working for Chad?"

"Listen man, I work for the Metropolis Police Department. No one else. I am a cop first and foremost and I take my job very seriously."

"Right, except the money in your account doesn't reflect that. Unless Met PD gave you one heck of a raise."

That barb hit its mark. "You checked on my account? You have no right!"

Neil slammed his fist down on the metal table. "I have every right! It's called probable cause."

With anger simmering just beneath the surface, Chad closed his mouth and drew in a deep breath. "I didn't do anything."

Neil studied him for a moment, then changed tactic. "You served in the army before you became a cop."

Chad blinked in surprise. "Yeah, so?"

"Well that's interesting to me. Because on the night Miss Lane was shot, Detective Hess' weapon was checked out of the department. Except no one can recall actually seeing him here. And all the evidence points to the shooter having previous military experience."

Perry smiled a little at the sweat that was now starting to break out on Chad's forehead. "That doesn't prove anything."

"Maybe, maybe not. But it's interesting that the only two officers with a military _and_ sniper background happen to be Detective Hess, and you."

Chad ground his teeth. "Again, that proves nothing."

"So I'm curious. Why, if Hess is the culprit as you claim, would he end up lying in his apartment with a bullet in his chest?"

Chad shrugged. "Maybe the people he was working for wanted to shut him up. How should I know?"

"You wanna know what I think?"

"Please, enlighten me."

"I think Miss Lane got too close to the story she was working on, which was Intergang, by the way. So they tried to frame her for the murder of her source, Melissa Chambers. Am I getting warm?"

"I don't even know who she is."

Neil carried on as if he hadn't spoken. "So when the frame didn't pan out, they hired you. You shot Miss Lane, and you tried to pin it on Hess and when that looked like it wasn't going to work, you shot him to get rid of the evidence."

Chad chuckled, but Perry could hear the uncertainty in his voice. Neil was getting to him. "That's one hell of a story you've cooked up. What's the matter Neil? Can't stand the fact that your own partner is a crook so you're looking to pin it on me?"

Neil's lip curled up in a snarl and for a second, Perry thought he was going to lunge at the guy. Instead, Neil smiled and leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. "Morgan Edge."

Chad's eyes flared at the sudden namedrop and that was when Perry knew. Neil had him.

"He hired you didn't he? Or was it Bruno Manheim?" Chad didn't reply, whether it was because he was too scared, or too stupid, Perry didn't know. "Okay, this is what's going to happen Chad. You have three options here. First, I can charge you with attempted murder. Or I can offer you a deal. You give us Morgan Edge, and Intergang, and I get you a deal on the time you'll serve."

"What's…uh, what's the third choice?"

Neil shrugged. "I let you go, but I put the word out that you're a rat, that you led us to Morgan and Intergang."

"You can't do that! They'll kill me!" Chad realised his mistake a second too late. He covered his face with his hands. "Dammit!"

With a satisfied grin, Neil sat back again. "So what's it going to be?"

Chad took his time thinking about it, but his choices really were limited. His shoulders drooped as he let out a sigh. "I'll confess."

**_To Be Continued..._**

**A/N:** I know this was a little light on the Clois, but this part of the story needed telling and this seemed like a good place to end the chapter. Don't shoot me :p 


	22. Chapter 21

Okay so...yes I know, I suck! LOL but in all honesty my passion for writing went out of the window and it's taken me so long to get it back. And I took my time in writing this chapter because we are so close to the end now and I didn't want to just take the easy route of ending it quickly, I wanted my story and characters to have the ending it deserves, so that took more time. Anywho, I've rambled enough...here it is. There will be one more chapter and then an epilogue after this. Enjoy :D

**_Chapter Twenty-One_**

It took a long time. Longer than Clark liked, but after a few hours, he started to feel better. His blood no longer felt like it was boiling within his veins, his head stopped pounding, and his strength slowly started to return. That had to be a good sign. The poison was slowly draining out of Lois' body.

Standing next to the table where his wife lay, Clark reached out a hand to her but held himself back. He couldn't touch her while the healing light was around her. But not being able to do so tore him up.

"Clark?" Bruce stepped up behind him, but Clark's eyes remained fixed on Lois' face.

"I was so harsh to her, Bruce."

"What?"

Clark turned his head a little to look at his friend. "When I came back to Metropolis, I treated her badly. I was still hurt about what she'd done. I said so many terrible things…"

"But you fixed it. Right?"

"I don't know. I think so, but I'm not sure. I don't think anything can make up for what I said to her. If I lose her now…"

"Hey," Bruce stepped forward and put a supportive hand on his shoulder. "You won't. You're looking better now, that has to mean something good for her right?"

"I hope so." He replied, his eyes once again landing on her face. She looked so small, so vulnerable, and it broke his heart. "You know, I never allowed myself to think about her. In five years, I only thought about her a handful of times. Because I could never forget what happened between us. I wanted to hate her, Bruce."

"And now?" His friend didn't ask any questions about what had happened in their past and Clark was thankful for that. Bruce was a good friend to him.

"Now…I realise that I could never hate her. I know now why she did what she did. It doesn't erase the past and part of me still wishes that she'd come to me and maybe then we could've dealt with it all together. We still would've had each other. But I can't blame her for it."

His heart ached when he thought about what she'd told him. What her father had done. Whatever his motivations had been, he'd done the wrong thing and hurt Lois in the process. Something that Clark wasn't around to support her through. That was what killed him. That she'd denied him the chance to simply be there for his wife.

"I don't know Lois all that well, but the woman I met, she's strong, Clark. Certainly put me in my place." He chuckled. "She'll get through this and when she does, you can make it up to her. But right now, she needs you to be strong."

Clark nodded and turned back to Lois. The colour was slowly starting to return to her face, but the wound on her shoulder was still bleeding.

"Listen, I'm going to head back to Metropolis and check in with Xavier."

"You're leaving?"

Bruce smiled. "I think you need some time alone and I want to make sure that Morgan and Bruno are where they're supposed to be. You know how I hate loose ends."

"I do." Clark held out a hand. "Thank you, Bruce."

Bruce shook his hand. "Hey, no problem."

"No, I mean it. I couldn't have done it without your help."

"Anytime man. But listen, when she wakes up, you tell her."

Clark frowned. "What?"

"You tell her that you love her and then…" Bruce glanced down at Lois. "Never let her go."

Clark saw Bruce's own pain shine through for just a second and he was reminded that his friend had demons of his own to deal with. He never talked about her, but Clark knew that Bruce missed Rachel every day.

"I don't intend to." Clark replied.

* * *

><p>"Mr White." Perry looked up from his seat in the waiting room of the police station at the man approaching.<p>

"Xavier, I was wondering where you'd disappeared to."

"I had some things to take care of. I hear Chad confessed though, that's great news."

"Yeah, he gave up Morgan Edge and Bruno Manheim. Intergang will probably never go away but at least those two will be behind bars for good."

"Good."

"They're also arresting the Mayor as we speak."

"Really? He was tied up in this too?" Xavier shook his head. "Just once I would like to hear about a politician that wasn't crooked."

"I haven't met one yet." Perry chuckled. "But at least he's getting what's coming to him. Bruno gave him up; apparently he had the info saved as a bargaining chip against Morgan and Morgan had conversations recorded between him and the Mayor, so either way, he's done."

Xavier smiled. "I have a feeling Miss Lane will be sorry she missed that."

At the mention of her name, Perry sobered. He had no idea where she was, or even if she was okay. She had vanished. "She'll have plenty of opportunities to write this article. After all she has been through to get this story, it's hers."

"Speaking of, where is she?"

Perry shook his head. "I have no idea. I just hope she's okay." 

* * *

><p>"Kal-El." Jor-El's voice snapped Clark out of his thoughts. He had no idea how long he'd been sitting there next to Lois, lost in the past. "It is complete."<p>

Slowly, the healing light started to fade and Lois' body came into view. But nothing changed. She was still unconscious. "Why isn't she waking up?"

"The poison has been successfully removed from her system. However, the damage to her shoulder was severe. She has lost a lot of blood. I'm sorry, my son, that is something I cannot help with."

Clark leaned down and lifted her gently into his arms, thankful that he could now do so without feeling any pain himself. He needed to get her to the hospital. He raised himself off the ground, ready to take off, and then paused. "Thank you, father."

"Be well, my son. Be happy."

With his wife tucked safely in his arms, he took off, Jor-El's words reverberating in his head. _Be happy_. Looking down at Lois, he allowed himself to smile for the first time in days.

"I think I will." 

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Clark stood in the corridor outside Lois' hospital room, looking in at her through the window. She looked a lot better now that she'd been re-stitched and put on IV fluids, but he could see that she was anxious to get out of there.<p>

It was a feeling he knew well, he'd been anxious ever since he'd brought her to the hospital. With nurses and doctors constantly going in and out of her room, he hadn't even had a chance to really talk to her. There was a lot that needed to be sorted between them and after facing the idea of losing her; he didn't want to wait any longer. But standing there, watching her speak to the Detective in charge of the case she'd become a big part of, he couldn't help but just drink in the sight of her.

As if she sensed him watching, Lois turned her head and locked eyes with him. The brief smile she gave him was warming but something in her gaze unnerved him. She seemed almost…sad.

Unable to stand being away from her any longer, Clark moved to enter the room but the sound of his mom's voice stopped him.

"Clark! Thank God you're alright!" Martha frantically pulled him down for a hug as Jonathan stood behind her looking concerned but relieved. He'd called them a while ago to let them know that he was okay. But he hadn't thought that they would drive all the way out here. Still, it was nice to see them.

"Are you okay?" Jonathan asked, placing a hand on his arm.

Clark hugged his mother back. "I'm fine, Dad. Mom?"

"Hmm?"

"Uh…you can let go now."

"Oh…sorry." Martha stepped back as Clark chuckled, to stand beside her husband, a sheen of tears in her eyes. "How's Lois?"

"She's okay, I think."

Martha frowned. "You think? I thought you said Jor-El helped her?"

"He did. The drug she was injected with was drained out of her system, but I had to bring her back here for her shoulder. But she's fine now."

Martha's keen eyes missed nothing as she studied her son. "Then what's wrong?"

Clark sighed and leaned back against the wall. "I almost lost her, Mom. Again."

"Oh sweetheart. She's going to be okay."

"But that's not what this is really about is it, son?" Jonathan said.

He drew in a deep breath. "Something happened…between us. I don't know…I guess I'm just having trouble figuring it out."

"Clark, you still love her." Martha said, not as a question but as a statement. "You always have and I suspect you always will."

Clark nodded and was about to reply when the door to Lois' room opened and the Detective stepped out.

"Mr Kent, I need to talk to you." Neil's eyes cut to his parents and then back to him. "In private if that's okay."

"Do we have to do this right now?" Clark asked, really wanting to get back inside to Lois.

Neil gave him a sympathetic look. "It won't take long, I promise. I just need your side of what went down tonight."

Reluctantly, Clark nodded. "Okay, but let's make it quick." 

* * *

><p>Jonathan and Martha watched their son walk down the corridor with the Detective. "You were right Martha."<p>

She turned to her husband. "About what?"

"When you told me I'd done the wrong thing in sending Lois away."

Martha tilted her head sympathetically. "Sweetheart, it was a long time ago…"

"I know, and I always told myself that it was the right thing to do, no matter what. But seeing him now, what this whole situation is doing to him. I…"

"What, honey?"

Jonathan shook his head. "I need to make this right."

Martha nodded, instinctively knowing what he was saying without actually saying it. She took hold of his hand and nodded towards Lois' door. "Then let's go make it right."

Jonathan pressed a kiss to his wife's forehead. "I just hope I can." 

**_To Be Continued..._**


	23. Chapter 22

**_Okay guys, here it is. The final chapter. There will be an epilogue to follow but for now, this is it. Enjoy _**

**_Chapter Twenty Two_**

Lois leaned her head back against her pillows for a few seconds, closing her eyes. It had been one heck of a day and she wasn't completely sure what had happened for the past couple of hours. Clark had told her but he'd given her what she'd assumed were the cliff-notes. Everything after Morgan had injected her was gone. She needed to know exactly what happened.

Neil had informed her that both Morgan Edge and Bruno Manheim were currently behind bars waiting for questioning, and it was unlikely that they would be posting bail anytime soon either. As for the Mayor, well he had a lot of money behind him and friends in all the right places so she doubted he'd be going away anytime soon.

She massaged her temples with her fingers, annoyed that the pain meds they'd given her weren't even touching her headache. She winced at the pull in her shoulder and lowered her hands to her lap, when there was a gentle knock on the door.

Jonathan popped his head in. "Lois? Is it okay if we come in?"

"Uh, sure I guess." Of all the people she'd expected to see, Clark's mom and dad were at the bottom of the list. She was pretty sure they still hated her, or at least didn't like her. Martha was always too polite to let on but Jonathan had always made his feelings clear in the past.

"Where's Clark?"

"He's talking with the Detective outside. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay, a little sore but I'm fine."

Feeling a little exposed, she pulled her sheet higher up on her legs and waited. The air was thick with silence as none of them spoke and she wondered why they were even here.

"Listen Lois…" Jonathan started, moving closer to her bedside while Martha stood back, watching. "I know that I'm probably the last person you want to see right now…"

"What makes you say that?" Lois asked, remembering exactly why she should hate this man. He had played a major part in the breakdown of her marriage. He had gone behind his own son's back and betrayed him. But for some reason, she couldn't. Because deep down she knew that he'd never done any of it to hurt them. His actions were born out of love, misguided as they were.

Her own father was a different story, but not Jonathan Kent. She'd known that he was a good man from the moment she'd met him. The way he was so protective about Clark's secret made her sure of that fact. So no, she couldn't hate him. Maybe it was because he was Clark's father, and Clark was such a sweet, gentle person, traits that his parents had instilled in him.

"I just…" He trailed off as he took a seat beside her bed. He looked sad all of a sudden and Lois couldn't think why. What was he doing here? "I wanted to apologise, Lois."

"Oh." Where was Clark? She really didn't want to do this without him. Her thoughts must have shown because Jonathan reached forward and gently grabbed her hand.

"Look, I'm not here to anger you or do anything that might upset you, but I need you to listen to me. Can you do that?"

Lois nodded, unable to speak. She glanced up at Martha and saw her wearing an encouraging and sympathetic smile.

Jonathan took a deep breath and released it slowly. "When you and Clark showed up at the farm and announced that you were married, I was…well I was angry. You were both so young and hadn't known each other that long, and I was worried that you hadn't thought it through. It just wasn't what I wanted for my teenaged son at the time."

Lois stayed silent, memories of that day coming back and hitting her hard. The look on Clark's parent's faces wasn't something she would ever forget.

"You have to understand, when Clark was just a boy, he had all of these abilities to deal with, and as hard as it was for him, it was just as hard for us too. With each new power he developed, we had to find a way for him to control it. The stronger he got, the more worried we became. Worried that someone would find out, take him away, and do all kinds of experiments on him. We were so scared of losing him that we never allowed him to have birthday parties or sleepovers. I know that makes us sound like terrible parents but…"

"No, you were just protecting him. I can understand that."

Jonathan smiled briefly before carrying on. "But as he grew older, it got harder to protect him. You're not the first person to find out about his secret, and there were a couple of times that it almost got out. When he ran away to Metropolis…that was a wakeup call. I realised that if he didn't want to come home, I couldn't make him and I had to let him go. At least a little. So when he finally returned, I was so happy. I never expected him to be returning with a wife."

Jonathan leaned back in his chair and sighed. "I did some terrible things. I want to regret calling your father; I do, especially in light of what Clark told me. But I still believe that he had a right to know."

Lois grew irritated. "With all due respect, Mr Kent, that was not your decision. It was mine."

"I know and I'm sorry. I never thought he would do what he did. But I know that in his position, if I had a daughter, I would be devastated to learn that she was married and couldn't even find a way to tell me."

"Well my father isn't exactly the understanding type."

"I'm learning that. And I'm truly sorry for what he did to you, Lois. My own actions may not be that different from his, and for that I feel terrible."

"As hard as this may be to believe, I understand why you called him."

"You do?" Jonathan looked surprised.

"Yes. Any father worth his salt would've done the same thing, I'm guessing. However…" She paused, trying to find the right way to say what she felt. "I can understand _that_, but what I don't understand is why you did what you did when I came back."

He at least had the good sense to look ashamed. _Good_, Lois thought. "I know that I hurt him, but I really needed my husband and when you told me that he'd already left, I was devastated."

"Lois…" His voice broke a little, as if he was having a hard time getting the words out. "I'm so sorry. I was just so angry with you. You didn't see him after you left. He was…not the Clark I knew. He barely spoke; he was like a different person. Seeing my son in that much pain was unbearable because I couldn't do anything to protect him from it. And that made me angry."

Tears threatened to fall, but Lois refused to let them. She knew he was right but it still hurt to hear it. Knowing what she'd put Clark through was never going to be easy to deal with. Even after all this time. "I never, ever wanted to hurt him."

Jonathan nodded. "I know. When you came back, I didn't know what to do. Clark wasn't home and I knew that he was planning to go to do his training with his real father, and a part of me knew that was what he needed to do. I was…" He paused and glanced back at Martha; she stepped forward and placed a supportive hand on his shoulder.

"I was a coward, Lois. I didn't think about the consequences, I just acted. I was afraid that if he saw you again, he wouldn't go. He would be stuck on the farm for the rest of his life and that was never what I wanted for him. I knew he could do so many great things and I had to learn to let him go. He needed his training and I was scared that you…"

"Would hold him back." Lois finished for him, closing her eyes. When he touched her hand again, she opened them to see him staring at her with an emotion she couldn't quite read.

"No, not hold him back. But Clark's love for you was stronger than his desire to want his training. I know that now. But I also know that I was wrong."

"What do you mean?"

Jonathan smiled. "Since he's been back, all he's talked about is moving forward. And all of his plans always include helping people with his abilities. I'm so proud of the man he's turned into and I think that some of it is down to you."

Lois shook her head. "How can it be?"

Martha spoke up for the first time since entering the room. "Lois, don't underestimate how important you are to him."

_Then why does he want a divorce?_ She asked herself. "I wouldn't be so sure about that."

Martha frowned. "Why do you think that?"

Lois didn't really want to get into the specifics with Clark's folks, it was between the two of them, so she pasted on a smile and shook her head. "It's not important."

"Hey," Jonathan gripped her hand tightly in his. "Whatever is going on between you two, it's nothing you can't fix. You've been through worse and yet somehow, you still managed to find your way back to each other."

"Clark just wanted to save me because that's who he is. That's the man you raised him to be." Lois hated herself for the insecurities but they had been plaguing her ever since she'd found those stupid divorce papers.

"While that may be true, you know that he wasn't exactly pleased to see you when he came back. He could've gotten that lawyer for you and left it at that. But he didn't." Jonathan said, his tone careful, as if he knew what he was saying could upset her. But it wasn't anything she hadn't already known. "His sole focus since his return has been to make sure that you are safe. That was his first priority. Lois, he loves you. Anyone can see that."

It was all becoming too much, Lois could feel the tears now rolling down her cheeks, but she couldn't stop them. She didn't know how to deal with all of this.

"Oh sweetheart." Martha sat down on the bed next to her and pulled her into a hug. Lois went willingly, taking solace in her comfort. "Clark has always loved you, Lois. And something tells me he always will."

"I love him too. I never stopped loving him, not for one minute." She sniffled.

When she pulled back, she could see Martha's eyes shining with tears too and she felt it like a kick to the chest. How much she had missed having a mother. Someone to hug her when she was sad, someone to talk to without fear of judgement. She had a feeling that, if they had had more time, she and Martha would've been very close.

Realising that she'd shown them more than she'd wanted to, Lois sat back and wiped her eyes. But Jonathan still looked sad.

"Lois…" His voice was so soft, so quiet. "Can you ever forgive me for what I did? I know it doesn't excuse it, but I only ever wanted what was best for my son. And for you."

Lois nodded, they had gone too long holding onto grudges that should just stay buried. "What's done is done, Mr Kent. If you can move past it, then so can I."

His expression softened and it looked like a huge weight was suddenly lifted from his shoulders. "For what it's worth…I couldn't ask for a better daughter-in-law."

"You're right." Clark said from the doorway and all three of them looked up to see him frowning. "What's going on in here?"

Jonathan stood and crossed over to him. "Something that should've happened a long time ago, son."

Jonathan clapped him on the shoulder and stepped out into the hallway, waiting for Martha as she reached up and kissed Clark on the cheek.

"Don't let her go, Clark. She needs you as much as you need her." Martha whispered, and then left.

Clark turned his gaze to Lois. "What was that all about?"

"Your dad just apologised to me."

"Really?" Clark asked, a little shocked as he sat down on the bed next to her.

She nodded. "Yeah, he feels really bad about what he did."

"So he should."

Lois tilted her head. "Clark, you should forgive him too. He only did it out of love for his son. A son that he was afraid he was going to lose one day."

Clark sighed, knowing she was right. "I guess. I'll talk to him later about it. Right now I just want to know how you're doing."

Lois stared at him for a long time before answering. Enough was enough, she needed to know. "Clark, why did you sign those divorce papers?"

She could see the question had caught him off guard because he blinked, then his confused look turned into a frown. "How did you…?"

"I saw them in your room at Bruce's place. I went looking for you after you left me in bed the morning after we…well you know."

Clark closed his eyes and groaned. "I'm so sorry about that. I was angry at my dad and I just…I went to confront him. I needed to know why he'd betrayed me. Us."

Lois absently rubbed at the bandage on her shoulder. "I thought maybe you'd had second thoughts."

Clark grabbed her hands. "No. Not about us, Lois. Never about us."

"Then why…?"

"I signed those papers before we slept together. At the time I thought it was what I wanted. I wanted to be free of the past, all the pain and anger. I just wanted to let it all go."

His words hurt but she could hardly blame him. "And now?"

Clark rubbed his hand up and down her good arm. "Lois, when Morgan injected you with that drug, I thought that I was going to lose you. You were so pale and…" He paused, the pain on his face telling her all she needed to know.

"It must've hurt you to be near me. Why didn't you just let Bruce bring me here?"

"The hospital couldn't help you, they've lost a lot of people to this drug. I couldn't let that happen to you. I couldn't stand to be away from you, even for a second. So we took you to the Fortress. Lois," he lowered his head a little to stare straight into her eyes. "I thought I'd lost you."

His words carried so much weight, so much anguish. She didn't know how to respond so she just grasped his hand tighter.

"I never want to be without you. Everything that has happened in the past, it doesn't matter anymore. It never did. I was stupid for hanging on to my anger for so long."

"Clark…"

"No, I need to say this. You need to hear this." He drew in a deep breath. "Lois, I've loved you since the first moment I met you. I've never stopped. I don't want a divorce, I don't want to lose you. I can't."

She raised a hand to his cheek. "Hey, you won't. I'm still here."

"Say it, please." He whispered. "Just tell me that you still love me too. I couldn't bear it if I lost that too."

"I love you, Clark. Always have, always will."

Clark surged forward and captured her mouth with his, his large hands framing her face. "Don't ever leave me, Lois."

She shook her head, responding to his urgent kisses. "I won't. I love you, Smallville."

His eyes widened at the use of his old nickname, and then his face lit up with the biggest grin. "I do have one question."

"What?"

"Will you marry me, Lois?"

She frowned, confused. "But we're…"

He smiled. "I know. But I want us to have a proper wedding. With friends and family, so that I can stand up and tell everyone we know how much I love you and that you are my _wife_. My soul mate."

Tears ran unchecked down her face and he wiped them away with his thumbs. "Yes. Oh yes, definitely."

As Clark grinned and leaned forward to kiss her again, Lois knew this was where she belonged, in the arms of her husband. The past would never truly be erased, but the pain and heartache, all the things that had torn them apart…well, Lois would make damn sure that never happened ever again.

**_Epilogue To Follow..._**


End file.
